Profile

Contact Details

Phone: 64 3 470 3455
Email: silke.neumann@otago.ac.nz

University Links

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

Jasiak, A., Anderson, L., Neumann, S., Wasag, B., Weeks, R., Walker, L., Cunliffe, H., & Ratajska, M. (2023, September). Adaptive homeostasis as a possible non-genetic regulator of BRCA1/2 splicing in ovarian cancer. Poster session presented at the New Zealand Society for Oncology (NZSO) Conference, Napier, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

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

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

2023

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Research Other

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

2022

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

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

2021

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

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

2020

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

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 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

2019

Chapter in Book - Research

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

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 GABA_A receptor modulator, DS2, improves stroke recovery via an anti-inflammatory mechanism. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13, 1133. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01133

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

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

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 GABA_A receptor modulator, DS2, improves stroke recovery via an anti-inflammatory mechanism. Proceedings of the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT) and the Population Approach Group of Australia and New Zealand (PAGANZ) Joint Scientific Meeting: Shared Horizons: Optimizing Drug Response to Improve Patient Outcomes. (pp. 57). Retrieved from https://www.asceptasm.com

2018

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

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Neumann, S., Gowing, E., Young, S., & Clarkson, A. (2018, August). Investigating post-stroke immune responses in lean and obese mice. Verbal presentation at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) and Australasian Society for Immunology New Zealand Branch (ASI-NZ) Joint Meeting, Queenstown, New Zealand.

2017

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

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Neumann, S. (2017, October). Subtype-selective GABA_A receptor agonist reduces inflammation and improves recovery post-stroke. Verbal presentation at the 13th World Congress on Inflammation, London, UK.

2016

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

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Neumann, S., Gowing, E., Lateef, Z., Chebib, M., Young, S., & Clarkson, A. (2016). Anti-inflammatory effects of GABA_A receptor modulators. European Journal of Immunology, 46(Suppl. 1), (pp. 564). doi: 10.1002/eji.201670200

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Neumann, S., Gowing, E., Lateef, Z., Chebib, M., Young, S., & Clarkson, A. N. (2016, April). DS2 has an anti-inflammatory effect and improves stroke recovery. Poster session presented at the 9th International Symposium on Neuroprotection and Neurorepair, Leipzig, Germany.

2015

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

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

Awarded Doctoral Degree

Neumann, S. (2015). Long peptide vaccines for the treatment of melanoma (PhD). University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

2014

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

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Neumann, S. (2014, August). Developing therapeutic vaccine formulations for the treatment of melanoma. Poster session presented at the Globalization of Pharmaceutics Education Network (GPEN) 10th Biennial Meeting, Helsinki, Finland.

Shirley, S., Hook, S., Kemp, R., & Neumann, S. (2014, November). MDSC and their potential role in therapeutic vaccine formulations. Poster session presented at the Devices for Diagnostics and Drug Delivery (D4) Conference, Dunedin, New Zealand.

2013

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Neumann, S., Kemp, R., Dunbar, R., Rades, T., & Hook, S. (2013). Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome through chitosan nanoparticles and subsequent cytokine production leads to the generation of CD11b⁺ Gr-1⁺ myeloid derived suppressor cells. Proceedings of the 11th Annual Meeting of the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT). (pp. 178). Retrieved from http://www.cimt.eu/meetings/archive

Neumann, S., Young, K., Kemp, R., Painter, G., Dunbar, R., & Hook, S. (2013). Investigating cytotoxic T cell responses to long peptide vaccine formulations. Proceedings of the 43rd Australasian Society for Immunology (ASI) Annual Scientific Meeting. (pp. 158). Retrieved from http://www.asi2013.org/

Neumann, S., Kemp, R., Rades, T., Dunbar, R., & Hook, S. (2013). Evaluating adjuvant characteristics of particulate formulations. Proceedings of 15th Conference on Formulation and Delivery of Bioactives: Found in Translation. Retrieved from http://bioactives.otago.ac.nz/

2012

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Neumann, S., Anzer, S., Boyd, B., Rades, T., & Hook, S. (2012). Investigating the phase behaviour of Freund’s incomplete adjuvant: A closer look at Mannide monooleate. Proceedings of the New Zealand Chapter of the Controlled Release Society 14th Conference on Formulation and Delivery of Bioactives. Retrieved from http://bioactives.otago.ac.nz/

2011

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Neumann, S., Boyd, B., Rades, T., Hook, S., & Anzer, S. (2011, December). Investigating the phase behaviour of Freund's incomplete adjuvant: A closer look on Mannide monooleate. Poster session presented at the 41st Australasian Society for Immunology (ASI) Annual Meeting, Adelaide, Australia.