Projects per year
Personal profile
Research Statement
Research topics
- Retinal degenerative and vascular diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinitis pigmentosa.
- Ocular drug delivery, in particular, topical drug delivery for retinal degenerative and angiogenic diseases.
Research statement
My research has been focused on the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of retinal degenerative and angiogenic diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR) and Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). Although AMD, DR and RP are not classical inflammatory diseases, inflammation is known to play an important role in the initiation and progression of the diseases. We aim to understand how inflammation contributes to the aetiology of these diseases and to identify targets for therapeutic intervention.
Main research activities
1) Inflammation in DR: We are interested in how diabetes affects immune cells and why the immune response to diabetes-mediated retinal injury becomes detrimental in DR. During diabetes, abnormal glucose metabolism can affect the development and function of immune cells (Xu and Chen. Diabetic retinopathy and dysregulated innate immunity. Vision Research. 2017;139:39-46). We have found that prolonged high glucose environment sensitises macrophages to inflammatory stimuli, but reduces the defence function of macrophages (Pavlou, et al. Sustained high glucose exposure sensitizes macrophage responses to cytokine stimuli but reduces their phagocytic activity.BMC Immunology. 2018; Vol. 19:24).
2) The role of Muller cell in retinal neurovascular unit: The blood-retinal barrier (BRB) is essential for retinal immune privilege. The functional integrity of BRB is maintained by the retinal neurovascular unit. Muller cell, the principal glia spanning almost the entire retina, is an important component of the neurovascular unit. We aim to understand the regulatory role of Muller cells in the neurovascular unit and BRB, and how the regulation is altered in diseases such as DR and AMD. Our group has recently established a mouse Muller cell line (Augustine, et al. Characterization of a spontaneously immortalized murine Müller glial cell line QMMuC-1. IOVS 2018; Vol. 59, No. 3. pp. 1666-1674), which provides a valuable tool for studying the pathophysiology of Muller cells.
3) Topical drug delivery for the treatment of retinal diseases: Due to the distinct anatomy of human eyes, it has been very difficult for topically applied drug to reach the posterior segment of the eyes. Teamed with collaborators in University of Birmingham, we have demonstrated that a cell penetrating peptide can aid drugs to the posterior segment of the eyes when applied topically (de Cogan, et al. Topical Delivery of Anti-VEGF Drugs to the Ocular Posterior Segment Using Cell-Penetrating Peptides. IOVS 2017; Vol. 58, No. 5. pp. 2578-2590).
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Network
Projects
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R2575CEM: Deciphering the role of macrophages in retinal fibrosis secondary to neovascular AMD
01/03/2019 → …
Project: Research
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R6545CEM: Educational Network in Ocular Drug Delivery and Therapeutics
29/09/2016 → …
Project: Research
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R8335CEM: Targeting STAT3 for the management of diabetic retinopathy
Xu, H., Chen, M., Lois, N. & Lyons, T.
27/03/2014 → 31/12/2016
Project: Research
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R2027CVS: Investigation of adverse side-effects of anti-VEGF therapy in the diabetic retina
01/08/2013 → 30/11/2017
Project: Research
Research Output
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A two-stage laser–induced mouse model of sub-retinal fibrosis secondary to choroidal neovascularization
Little, K., Llorian Salvador, M., Tang, M., O'Shaughnessy, O., Du, X., McIlwaine, G., Chen, M. & Xu, H., Mar 2020, In : Translational Vision Science & Technology. 9, 3, 11 p., 3.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)67 Downloads (Pure) -
Circulating Leukocyte Alterations and the Development/Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 1 Diabetic Patients – A Pilot Study
Obasanmi, G., Lois, N., Armstrong, D., Lavery, N. J., Romero Hombrebueno, J. M., Lynch, A., Wright, D., Chen, M. & Xu, H., 30 Jan 2020, In : Current eye research. 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2 Citations (Scopus) -
Effect of precursor pH on AuNP/MWCNT nanocomposites synthesized by plasma-induced non-equilibrium electrochemistry
Sun, D., Maddi, C., Rafferty, C., Tang, M., Chen, M., Falzon, B., Sarri, G., Mariotti, D., Maguire, P. & Sun, D., 22 Jul 2020, In : Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Hyaloid Vasculature as a Major Source of STAT3+ (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3) Myeloid Cells for Pathogenic Retinal Neovascularization in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy
Hombrebueno, J. R., Lynch, A., Byrne, E. M., Obasanmi, G., Kissenpfennig, A., Chen, M. & Xu, H., 29 Oct 2020, In : Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. p. ATVBAHA120314567 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Plasma level of lipocalin 2 is increased in neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients, particularly those with macular fibrosis
Chen, M., Yang, N., Lechner, J., Toth, L., Hogg, R., Silvestri, G., Chakravarthy, U. & Xu, H., 14 Nov 2020, In : Immunity & ageing. 17, 9 p., 35.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Datasets
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Dataset for Microplasma assisted synthesis of gold nanoparticle/graphene oxide nanocomposites and their potential application in SERS sensing
Sun, D. (Owner), Tang, M. (Creator), Zhang, L. (Creator), Falzon, B. (Creator), Padmanaban, D. B. (Creator), Mariotti, D. (Creator), Maguire, P. (Creator), Xu, H. (Creator), Chen, M. (Creator) & Sun, D. (Data Manager), Queen's University Belfast, 04 Jul 2019
DOI: 10.17034/54090971-6f0e-4bd6-86b1-bf84c3d4cde7, https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6528/ab2a23
Dataset
File
Prizes
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2010 ISER International Travel Award
Chen, Mei (Recipient), Jul 2010
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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2012 Fight for Sight Early Career Investigator Award
Chen, Mei (Recipient), 2012
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
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2015 ARVO International Travel Award
Chen, Mei (Recipient), May 2015
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Uveitis Award (2nd Prize), for the study on complement therapy in uveitis. European Uveitis Patient Association.
Chen, Mei (Recipient), 2011
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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PhD examiner for University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
Mei Chen (Examiner)
2019Activity: Examination types › PhD external examination
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Project: Developing a novel antibody for the management of Diabetic Retinopathy
Mei Chen (Consultant)
2018 → 2019Activity: Consultancy types › KTP & Consultancy in kind
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OCUTHER Advanced course in Ophthalmology
Mei Chen (Participant)
Oct 2018Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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XXIII Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Eye Research (ISER)
Mei Chen (Invited speaker)
12 Sep 2018Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference
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PhD examiner for Trinity College Dublin
Mei Chen (Examiner)
09 Nov 2018Activity: Examination types › PhD external examination