Dr Michael Seed

Auto-immune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, are crippling, very painful and lead to an early death. Michael's research focuses on the discovery and proof of concept of molecular targets amenable to orally active low molecular weight new chemical entities. These are the next generation of anti-autoimmune therapeutics aimed to replace current biologic treatments. Research centres on in vitro and in vivo modelling and molecular analysis of immune and auto-immune disease mechanisms and the associated tissue destruction.

Michael's research centres on novel sulphated heparinoids as well as the role of kinases in rheumatoid arthritis. He is also researching into Loin Pain Haematuria Syndrome, considered to be the most painful syndrome known to humanity. He is working on the Crohn's Colitis UK funded EXAT Trial into exercise and the alleviation of  Crohn's disease in collaboration with Hertfordshire, Northumbria and Winchester Universities, and Guy's, Bart's, and Hampshire NHS Trusts. He has a special interest in the 3Rs and welfare associated with arthritis integrative modelling, working with the Royal Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (RSPCA) as a member of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Models Expert Working Group. 

PI3kinase has been a major interest, funded through the William Harvey Research Foundation. As part of the MACROCEPT EU CRAFT and KINACEPT EUFP7 programmes, the long term cellular effects of p38MAP-kinase inhibitor responses is being investigated with the aim of improving their potential in the clinic.

A collaboration with the University of Manchester on the Wellcome Trust Seeding Drug Discovery Initiative Selective glucocorticoid receptor agonists for the treatment of inflammatory conditions is designing novel anti-rheumatic steroids whose anti-inflammatory properties are dissociated from the life-threatening side effects associated with this drug class. This research adds in silico drug design, chemical synthesis, and gene trans-activation and trans- repression screening in the collaboration, to this laboratory which will differentiate the in vivo anti-rheumatic activity of dissociated steroids from their osteopenic and diabetic side effects. In collaboration with Prof Alan Boyde, Barts Dental Institute, this has involved research and characterisation of new methods of determining steroid induced bone remodelling in rodents utilising XRay, µCT, fluorescent confocal immunohistology, and scanning electron microscopy.

The mechanistic studies of a newly invented set of orally active anti-rheumatic and anti-erosive heparinoid-like NCEs that modulate inflammatory cell differentiation and activation responses. The Gordon van Armand Scholarship Prize research into the role of IKKα in type IV hypersensitivity responses, dendritic cell - T cell interactions which has been published recently.

Patents

• Sulphated aminosugars with anti-inflammatory properties. Seed M, Burnet M, Gutche HJ. EP/2586786 Published 1 May 2013
• Formulations of active pharmaceutical ingredients using normal human metabolites. SEED M, Burnet MW, Galvez J. Application number: 61502802. Status: Submitted. Filed date: 29 Jun 2011.
• Combinations comprising an anti-inflammatory agent and/or an antibacterial agent and a glycosylamine and their use in medicine. JM Galvez, MP Seed, IM Roitt, M Burnet - WO patent WO/2011/083,291, 2011.
• Treatment of inflammation or autoimmune diseases with sulphated compounds. MP Seed, JA Mancini, L Dugo, M Lees, M Burnet - WO patent WO/2008/152,423, 2008.
• Use of Sulphated saccharides in the treatment of inflammatory and/or other Inflammatory Diseases. Mancini J, Dugo L, Seed M, Lees M, Burnet M, Gutke HJ. Application number: 0711139.5. Status: Published. Filed date: 11 Jun 2007.
• Pharmaceutical compositions comprising an angiostatic steroid combined with a hyaluronan title: compositions pharmaceutiques comprenant un steroide angiostatique combine a un hyaluronan. SEED M, Alam C, Willoughby DA. Patent number: WO Patent WO1999001142, 1999.
• Promotion of wound healing utilizing steroids having reduced deleterious systemic side effects typical of glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids and sex steroids. / Promotion de la cicatrisation a l'aide de steroides ayant des effets secondaires systemiques reduits comparativement a ceux habituellement associes aux glucocorticoides, aux mineralcorticoides et aux steroides sexuels. Alam Chandan, Seed Michael P, Willoughby Derek A:  Patent Number: CA 2208916, 1999.