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Contact Details

Phone
64 3 470 3455
Email
silke.neumann@otago.ac.nz
Position
Senior Research Fellow
Department
Department of Pathology (Dunedin)
Qualifications
BPharm PhD
Research summary
Cancer research and stroke immunology/immune therapy

Research

My research focuses on understanding the role of inflammation in disease progression (cancer and stroke), and how it shapes immune responses. I am particularly insterested in innate immune cells that play an important role in initiating and driving inflammatory processes, which in turn impair therapeutic success (cancer) and wound repair (stroke).

In the stroke project I have studied the temporal profile of immune cells that enter the brain post-stroke to understand when and in what ways these cells can be manipulated to inhibit inflammation and improve stroke recovery. A primary focus on my work has been the use of neurotransmitters or drugs that act like neurotransmitters to dampen the inflammatory processes.

Another aspect of my research is the development of a protocol for immunotherapy that will entail priming immune cells to selectively recognise and destroy cancer cells while sparing healthy cells. Furthermore, we are interested in deciphering the role of the immunoproteasome, a key component that enables antigen-presentation in the interplay between cancer and immune cells.

Elucidating the role of particular immune cell populations and soluble pro-inflammatory factors in the cancer and stroke microenvironment requires the use of multiple techniques. These techniques encompass cell-based assays, flow cytometric analysis and methods to assess the significance of immune cell populations, and the contribution of each to inflammation.

Publications

Reynolds, A. N., Hood, F., Wilson, R., Ross, A., Neumann, S., Turner, R., Iosua, E., Katare, R., Shahin, A., Kok, Z.-y., … Coffey, S., & Mann, J. (2023). Healthy grocery delivery in the usual care for adults recovering from an acute coronary event: protocol for a three-arm randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 13, e074278. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074278

Sharma, A., Fernandes, D. C., Reis, R. L., Gołubczyk, D., Neumann, S., Lukomska, B., … Maciaczyk, J. (2023). Cutting-edge advances in modeling the blood-brain barrier and tools for its reversible permeabilization for enhanced drug delivery into the brain. Cell & Bioscience, 13, 137. doi: 10.1186/s13578-023-01079-3

Reynolds, A. N., Diep Pham, H. T., Åberg, S., Neumann, S., & Mann, J. (2023). The effects of wholegrain processing on appetite: Randomised crossover trial in adults with type 2 diabetes. Food & Function. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1039/D3FO02165C

Shields, N. J., Peyroux, E. M., Ferguson, A. L., Steain, M., Neumann, S., & Young, S. L. (2023). Late-stage MC38 tumours recapitulate features of human colorectal cancer: Implications for appropriate timepoint selection in preclinical studies. Frontiers in Immunology, 14, 1152035. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1152035

Shields, N. J., Peyroux, E. M., Campbell, K., Mehta, S., Woolley, A. G., Counoupas, C., Neumann, S., & Young, S. L. (2022). Calpains released from necrotic tumor cells enhance antigen cross-presentation to activate CD8+ T cells in vitro. Journal of Immunology, 209(9), 1635-1651. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100500

Neumann, S., Peyroux, E. M., Woodall, M. J., Shields, N. J., Young, S. L., & Pattison, S. T. (2019). The Influence of microbial metabolites in the gastrointestinal microenvironment on anticancer immunity. In M. Rajer & E. Segelov (Eds.), Current cancer treatment. London, UK: IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.88137

Chapter in Book - Research

Reynolds, A. N., Diep Pham, H. T., Åberg, S., Neumann, S., & Mann, J. (2023). The effects of wholegrain processing on appetite: Randomised crossover trial in adults with type 2 diabetes. Food & Function. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1039/D3FO02165C

Journal - Research Article

Shields, N. J., Peyroux, E. M., Ferguson, A. L., Steain, M., Neumann, S., & Young, S. L. (2023). Late-stage MC38 tumours recapitulate features of human colorectal cancer: Implications for appropriate timepoint selection in preclinical studies. Frontiers in Immunology, 14, 1152035. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1152035

Journal - Research Article

Shields, N. J., Peyroux, E. M., Campbell, K., Mehta, S., Woolley, A. G., Counoupas, C., Neumann, S., & Young, S. L. (2022). Calpains released from necrotic tumor cells enhance antigen cross-presentation to activate CD8+ T cells in vitro. Journal of Immunology, 209(9), 1635-1651. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100500

Journal - Research Article

Yusuf, S., Aretz, P., Nickel, A.-C., Westoff, P., Sharma, A., Qin, N., … Neumann, S., … Maciaczyk, J. (2022). WNT/β-catenin-mediated resistance to glucose deprivation in glioblastoma stem-like cells. Cancers, 14(13), 3165. doi: 10.3390/cancers14133165

Journal - Research Article

Neumann, S., Campbell, K., Woodall, M. J., Evans, M., Clarkson, A. N., & Young, S. L. (2021). Obesity has a systemic effect on immune cells in naïve and cancer-bearing mice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22, 8803. doi: 10.3390/ijms22168803

Journal - Research Article

Robert, C., Tsiampali, J., Fraser-Miller, S. J., Neumann, S., Maciaczyk, D., Young, S. L., Maciaczyk, J., & Gordon, K. C. (2021). Molecular monitoring of glioblastoma’s immunogenicity using a combination of Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics. Spectrochimica Acta Part A, 252, 119534. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2021.119534

Journal - Research Article

Åberg, S., Mann, J., Neumann, S., Ross, A. B., & Reynolds, A. (2020). Whole-grain processing and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes: A randomized crossover trial. Diabetes Care, 43, 1717-1723. doi: 10.2337/dc20-0263

Journal - Research Article

Tsiampali, J., Neumann, S., Giesen, B., Koch, K., Maciaczyk, D., Janiak, C., … Maciaczyk, J. (2020). Enzymatic activity of CD73 modulates invasion of gliomas via epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like reprogramming. Pharmaceuticals, 13, 138. doi: 10.3390/ph13110378

Journal - Research Article

Clarkson, A. N., Boothman-Burrell, L., Dósa, Z., Nagaraja, R. Y., Jin, L., Parker, K., … Neumann, S., Gowing, E. K., … Chebib, M. (2019). The flavonoid, 2'-methoxy-6-methylflavone, affords neuroprotection following focal cerebral ischaemia. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, 39(7), 1266-1282. doi: 10.1177/0271678x18755628

Journal - Research Article

Neumann, S., Boothman-Burrell, L., Gowing, E. K., Jacobsen, T. A., Ahring, P. K., Young, S. L., … Clarkson, A. N. (2019). The delta-subunit selective GABAA receptor modulator, DS2, improves stroke recovery via an anti-inflammatory mechanism. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13, 1133. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01133

Journal - Research Article

Evans, M. A., Lim, R., Kim, H. A., Chu, H. X., Gardiner-Mann, C. V., Taylor, K. W. E., … Neumann, S., … Gowing, E. K., … Clarkson, A. N., … Broughton, B. R. S. (2018). Acute or delayed systemic administration of human amnion epithelial cells improves outcomes in experimental stroke. Stroke, 49(3), 700-709. doi: 10.1161/strokeaha.117.019136

Journal - Research Article

Grant, M. L., Shields, N., Neumann, S., Kramer, K., Bonato, A., Jackson, C., Baird, M. A., & Young, S. L. (2017). Combining dendritic cells and B cells for presentation of oxidised tumour antigens to CD8+ T cells. Clinical & Translational Immunology, 6(7), e149. doi: 10.1038/cti.2017.28

Journal - Research Article

Neumann, S., Shirley, S. A., Kemp, R. A., & Hook, S. M. (2016). Improved antitumor activity of a therapeutic melanoma vaccine through the use of the dual COX-2/5-LO inhibitor licofelone. Frontiers in Immunology, 7(537), 537. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00537

Journal - Research Article

Neumann, S., Shields, N. J., Balle, T., Chebib, M., & Clarkson, A. N. (2015). Innate immunity and inflammation post-stroke: An α7-nicotinic agonist perspective. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 16(12), 29029-29046. doi: 10.3390/ijms161226141

Journal - Research Article

Neumann, S., Young, K., Compton, B., Anderson, R., Painter, G., & Hook, S. (2015). Synthetic TRP2 long-peptide and α-galactosylceramide formulated into cationic liposomes elicit CD8+ T-cell responses and prevent tumour progression. Vaccine, 33, 5838-5844. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.08.083

Journal - Research Article

Neumann, S., Burkert, K., Kemp, R., Rades, T., Dunbar, P. R., & Hook, S. (2014). Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is not a feature of all particulate vaccine adjuvants. Immunology & Cell Biology, 92, 535-542. doi: 10.1038/icb.2014.21

Journal - Research Article

Reynolds, A. N., Hood, F., Wilson, R., Ross, A., Neumann, S., Turner, R., Iosua, E., Katare, R., Shahin, A., Kok, Z.-y., … Coffey, S., & Mann, J. (2023). Healthy grocery delivery in the usual care for adults recovering from an acute coronary event: protocol for a three-arm randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 13, e074278. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074278

Journal - Research Other

Sharma, A., Fernandes, D. C., Reis, R. L., Gołubczyk, D., Neumann, S., Lukomska, B., … Maciaczyk, J. (2023). Cutting-edge advances in modeling the blood-brain barrier and tools for its reversible permeabilization for enhanced drug delivery into the brain. Cell & Bioscience, 13, 137. doi: 10.1186/s13578-023-01079-3

Journal - Research Other

Woodall, M. J., Neumann, S., Campbell, K., Pattison, S. T., & Young, S. L. (2020). The effects of obesity on anti-cancer immunity and cancer immunotherapy. Cancers, 12(5), 1230. doi: 10.3390/cancers12051230

Journal - Research Other

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