Dr Mark Robinson
Biography
Dr Mark Robinson's research group studies the immunological changes that occur in humans during chronic disease. His group focuses on understanding the role of innate lymphocytes and inflammation in the progression of chronic liver disease and the development of liver cirrhosis.
Dr Mark Robinson obtained his PhD in Immunology from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. After postdoctoral fellowships in the UK MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research and Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, he was awarded an HRB Emerging Investigator Award in 2017. In 2018, Dr Mark Robinson moved to the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, where he is a faculty member in the Department of Biology and the Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research.
Research Interests
The Robinson Lab works on a number of research projects related to chronic liver disease, chronic inflammation, and the role of the innate cytotoxic lymphocytes.
1. Chronic Liver Disease and Liver Cirrhosis
Liver cirrhosis is the end stage of chronic liver disease and occurs when normal liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue, leading to the eventual failure of normal liver functions. Cirrhosis accounts for 170,000 deaths annually in Europe and presently the only treatment is liver transplantation, however many patients die while waiting on a transplant. Better markers of disease progression and new therapeutic strategies to combat cirrhosis are urgently needed. In collaboration with Dublin hepatology units we are investigating novel immune-based biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets, capable of predicting and halting disease progression.
2. Chronic Inflammation
Low grade systemic inflammation is hypothesised to directly contribute to organ failure in patients with liver cirrhosis. While elevated circulating interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein are commonly measured clinically in patients with liver cirrhosis, it is unclear what is driving this low grade systemic inflammation. We are investigating how various pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), together with damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), induce low grade systemic inflammation and re-wire inflammatory signalling pathways in the context of chronic disease and biological aging.
3. Innate Cytotoxic Lymphocytes
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes with the ability to directly kill stressed cells, senescent cells, infected cells and tumour cells. Our lab has described unique features of tissue-resident NK cell populations within the human liver and the role that the tumour microenvironment plays in altering NK cell function. We are currently investigating how glycosylation changes regulate cytotoxic functions and the factors influencing NK cell migration and survival in solid tumours.
Research Projects
Book Chapter
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Harmon, C.; O’Farrelly, C.; Robinson, M.W. (2020) 'The Immune Consequences of Lactate in the Tumor Microenvironment' In: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Cathal Harmon, Cliona O'Farrelly, Mark W Robinson (2020) 'The Immune Consequences of Lactate in the Tumor Microenvironment' In: Tumor Microenvironment. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1259. Cham, Switzerland : Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43093-1_7 [Full-Text] |
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Greville, G.; Cremen, S.; O'Neill, S.; Azarian, S.; Brady, G.; McCormack, W.; Dyer, A.H.; Bourke, N.M.; Touzelet, O.; Courtney, D.; Power, U.F.; Dowling, P.; Gallagher, T.K.; Bamford, C.G.G.; Robinson, M.W. (2024) 'Type 1 interferon auto-antibodies are elevated in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis'. Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 215 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2022 | Jameson G.; Harmon C.; Santiago R.M.; Houlihan D.D.; Gallagher T.K.; Lynch L.; Robinson M.W.; O’Farrelly C. (2022) 'Human Hepatic CD56bright NK Cells Display a Tissue-Resident Transcriptional Profile and Enhanced Ability to Kill Allogenic CD8+ T Cells'. Frontiers in Immunology, 13 . [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2022 | Naimimohasses S.; O'Gorman P.; McCormick E.; Ferguson D.; Monaghan A.; McGrath M.; Robinson M.W.; Gormley J.; Norris S. (2022) 'Prevalence of frailty in patients with non-cirrhotic non-alcoholic fatty liver disease'. Bmj Open Gastroenterology, 9 (1). [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2021 | Jameson G; Robinson MW; (2021) 'Insights Into Human Intrahepatic NK Cell Function From Single Cell RNA Sequencing Datasets'. Frontiers in Immunology, 12 . [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2021 | Batten I.; Robinson M.W.; White A.; Walsh C.; Fazekas B.; Wyse J.; Buettner A.; D’Arcy S.; Greenan E.; Murphy C.C.; Wigston Z.; Gabhann-Dromgoole J.N.; Vital E.M.; Little M.A.; Bourke N.M. (2021) 'Investigation of type I interferon responses in ANCA-associated vasculitis'. Scientific Reports, 11 (1). [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2019 | Harmon C; Jameson G; Almuaili D; Houlihan DD; Hoti E; Geoghegan J; Robinson MW; O'Farrelly C; (2019) 'Liver-Derived TGF-β Maintains the EomeshiTbetlo Phenotype of Liver Resident Natural Killer Cells'. Frontiers in Immunology, 10 . [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2018 | Harmon C; Robinson MW; Hand F; Almuaili D; Mentor K; Houlihan DD; Hoti E; Lynch L; Geoghegan J; O'Farrelly C; (2018) 'Lactate-mediated acidification of tumor microenvironment induces apoptosis of liver-resident NK cells in colorectal liver metastasis'. Cancer Immunology Research, . [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2016 | Swann RE; Cowton VM; Robinson MW; Cole SJ; Barclay ST; Mills PR; Thomson EC; McLauchlan J; Patel AH; (2016) 'Broad Anti-Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Antibody Responses Are Associated with Improved Clinical Disease Parameters in Chronic HCV Infection'. Virology, 90 (9). [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2016 | Swann RE; Mandalou P; Robinson MW; Ow MM; Foung SK; McLauchlan J; Patel AH; Cramp ME; (2016) 'Anti-envelope antibody responses in individuals at high risk of hepatitis C virus who resist infection'. Journal of Viral Hepatitis, 23 (11). [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2016 | Robinson MW; Hughes J; Wilkie GS; Swann R; Barclay ST; Mills PR; Patel AH; Thomson EC; McLauchlan J; (2016) 'Tracking TCRβ Sequence Clonotype Expansions during Antiviral Therapy Using High-Throughput Sequencing of the Hypervariable Region'. Frontiers in Immunology, 7 . [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2016 | Robinson MW; Harmon C; O'Farrelly C; (2016) 'Liver immunology and its role in inflammation and homeostasis'. Cellular and Molecular Immunology, 13 (3). [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2016 | Harmon C; Robinson MW; Fahey R; Whelan S; Houlihan DD; Geoghegan J; O'Farrelly C; (2016) 'Tissue-resident Eomes(hi) T-bet(lo) CD56(bright) NK cells with reduced proinflammatory potential are enriched in the adult human liver'. European Journal of Immunology, 46 (9). [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2016 | Kelly A; Robinson MW; Roche G; Biron CA; O'Farrelly C; Ryan EJ; (2016) 'Immune Cell Profiling of IFN-λ Response Shows pDCs Express Highest Level of IFN-λR1 and Are Directly Responsive via the JAK-STAT Pathway'. Journal Of Interferon & Cytokine Research : The Official Journal Of The International Society For Interferon And Cytokine Research, 36 (12). [DOI] [Full-Text] |