Recent Publications

• Davies T J and Fairchild P J (2011) Optimization of Protocols for Derivation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Lines from Refractory Strains, Including the Non Obese Diabetic Mouse. Stem Cells Dev.

• Silk K M, Silk J D, Ichiryu N, Davies T J, Nolan K F, Leishman A J, Carpenter L, Watt S M, Cerundolo V, and Fairchild P J (2011) Cross-presentation of tumour antigens by human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived CD141(+)XCR1(+) dendritic cells. Gene Ther.

• Fairchild Paul J (2010) The challenge of immunogenicity in the quest for induced pluripotency. Nat Rev Immunol, 10(12):868-75.

• Lui Kathy O, Boyd Ashleigh S, Cobbold Stephen P, Waldmann Herman, and Fairchild Paul J (2010) A role for regulatory T cells in acceptance of ESC-derived tissues transplanted across an major histocompatibility complex barrier. Stem Cells, 28(10):1905-14.

• Fairchild Paul J, Robertson Nathan J, Minger Stephen L, and Waldmann Herman (2007) Embryonic stem cells: protecting pluripotency from alloreactivity. Curr Opin Immunol, 19(5):596-602.

Dr Paul Fairchild

The derivation of human embryonic stem (ES) cells in 1998 marked a turning point in biomedical science by offering the opportunity to derive potentially limitless numbers of somatic cell types to replace diseased or worn out tissues.  Such an approach has far-reaching implications for the treatment of conditions as diverse as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, myocardial infarction and macular degeneration.  Nevertheless, the promise of regenerative medicine may only be realised by addressing the immunological barriers that will provoke rejection of the transplanted tissues.  My laboratory is, therefore, working at the interface between stem cell biology and immunology in order to apply the principles of transplantation tolerance within this newly-emerging field.

Research Details

• Derivation and characterisation of dendritic cell subsets differentiated from ES cells under culture conditions free of animal products.

• Modulation of dendritic cell immunogenicity through treatment with pharmacological agents

• Induction of immunological tolerance to tissues derived from ES cells

• Harnessing acquired immune privilege for the purpose of regenerative medicine

After obtaining a first class degree and an award for top graduate in the Biological Sciences, Paul Fairchild began his research career in Oxford, where he studied for a DPhil within the Nuffield Department of Surgery, focussing on the immune response to organ allografts. After spending five years as a Post Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, he returned to Oxford where he is currently a lecturer and RCUK Academic Fellow within the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology. Here he has applied his immunological training to the emerging field of cell replacement therapy and regenerative medicine to investigate the immune response to tissues differentiated from embryonic stem cells, the rejection of which threatens to undermine the success of regenerative medicine in the future. He has developed strategies which may one day promote the indefinite survival of stem cell-derived grafts and is currently collaborating with Geron Corporation to bring such technology to the clinic.