spiteri_monica - Keele University

Professor Monica Spiteri

Title: Professor in Respiratory Medicine


Phone: +44 (0)1782 553024
Email:
m.spiteri@virgin.net
Location: Institute for Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University,
Guy Hilton Research Centre, Thornburrow Drive, Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 7QB United Kingdom
Role: ISTM Research themes: 1. Bioengineering & Therapeutics
2. Clinical & Diagnostic Science
Contacting me: By phone or email please
Prof Monica Spiteri

ISTM Research themes: 1. Bioengineering & Therapeutics
2. Clinical & Diagnostic Science

Research Interests:

Professor Spiteri directs and oversees the Lung Research programme, which incorporates a multidisciplinary approach of cell pathology, molecular biology and bioengineering. Her group has established an international expertise in:

  • Utilization of ex-vivo cell injury-repair models (incorporating appropriate mechanical stress stimuli) to explore mechanisms in tissue / airway wall remodelling in pulmonary fibrogenesis and rhinovirus-associated airway inflammation.
  • Explorative technology for early detection and monitoring of lung disease. Specific areas of interest include :
  • Use of optical coherence tomography for early detection of in situ precancerous / malignant lesions within the respiratory epithelium.
  • Use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for airway mucus analysis to identify individual health and disease onset-related sputum fingerprints.

Images of porcine trachea by (left) standard histological section (H & E stain) and (right) OCT. E represents epithelia; LP: lamina propria; G: mucous gland; PC: perichondrium; C: cartilage. The bar is 500 mm.  

Research Grants:

Project Leaders

Funder

Title

Start

Duration (mths)

Awarded

Prof A Wardlaw, Prof M Spiteri, Prof W Cookson, Prof M Whyte

 

PPP Healthcare Medical Trust

The genetic epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

2002

48

£274, 662

Prof M Spiteri, Dr J Allen

 

British Lung Foundation

Role of connective tissue growth factor over-expression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

2002

72

£119,776

Prof M Spiteri

 

North Staffs Hospital Cancer Research Fund Charity

Use of OCT as an optical pathological marker for early detection of lung cancer and in situ pre-cancerous lesions

2003

24

£51,500

Prof M Spiteri

 

North Staffs Hospital Thoracic Research Fund

To establish biochemical fingerprints in expectorated sputum by FTIR spectroscopy

2004

24

£39,630
Prof M Spiteri North Staffordshire Medical Institute OCT lung screening tool development for early detection of lung cancer 2005 24 £23,000

Prof M Spiteri

Department of Health, MidTech

OCT development for intra-operative use in lung cancer

2006

12

£40,000
Selection of Publications:

Whiteman  SC, Yang Y, Gey van Pittius D, Stevens M, Parmar J, Wang R, Spiteri MA
Optical Coherence Tomography: real time imaging of human bronchial airways microstructure and detection of inflammatory/ neoplastic morphological changes. Clinical  Cancer Research 2006, 12:3 813-818   

Watts KL, Sampson EM, Schultz GS, Spiteri MA
Simvastatin inhibits growth factor expression and modulates pro-fibrinogenic markers in lung fibroblasts. Am J Rev Cell Mol Biol 2005, 32:4; 290-300

Watts KL, Spiteri MA
Connective tissue growth actor expression and induction of transforming growth factor-beta is abrogated by simvastatin via a RHO signalling mechanism. Am J Physiol - Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2004, 287:6; L1323-L1332

Y.Yang, S.Whiteman, D.Gey van Pittius, Y.He, R.Wang, M.A.Spiteri
Use of optical coherence tomography in delineating airways microstructure: comparison of OCT images to histopathological sections. Phys Med Biol, 2004, 49 : 1247-1255.

Whiteman S, Bianco A, Knight RA, Spiteri MA
Human Rhinovirus selectively modulates membrane bound and soluble forms of Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) receptor to promote epithelial cell infectivity. J Biol Chem 2003, 278 (14) : 11954 -11961

Mapp CE, De Marzo N, Pozzato V, Boschetto P, Fryer AA, Strange R, Hemmingsen A, Spiteri MA
GSTP1 is a susceptibility gene for occupational asthma induced by isocynates. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002, 109 : 867-872

Bloor C, Knight R, Kedia R, Spiteri MA, Allen JT
Differential mRNA expression of Insulin-like Growth Factor splice variants in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary sarcoidosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2001, 164, 265-272.

Bianco A, Whiteman S, Sethi S, Knight R, Spiteri MA
Airway epithelial cell ICAM-1 in atopy: a mechanism for increased rhinovirus infection? Clin Exp Immunol 2000, 121: 339-345.

Fryer A, Bianco A, Hepple M, Jones P, Strange R, Spiteri MA
Polymorphism at the Glutathione S-transferase, GSTP1 locus : a new marker for bronchial hyperresponsiveness and asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2000, 161 : 1437-1442.