Dr. Anil Mehta

My research integrates the molecular cell biology and epidemiology of cystic fibrosis. The first component generates new molecular hypotheses linking the defective cystic fibrosis protein to clinical disease and the second complements the basic science via a research oriented patient database. Both streams have achieved international recognition and have been funded by peer-reviewed grants from the Wellcome Trust, European Union Framework 6 and Cystic Fibrosis Trust with important contributions from the Anonymous Trust, Tenovus, NHS Reserach and Development, the Russell Trust and the Buist Foundation.

Molecular medicine: Cystic Fibrosis (CF) mostly occurs after mutation of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) following deletion of a single phenylalanine, the 508th (F508) in the CFTR protein that normally contains 1480 amino acids in total. This single deletion (F508del) leads to an ill understood multi-system disease. About ten years ago, I proposed that a protein histidine kinase [nucleoside diphosphate kinase, NDPK] is defective in CF. NDPK is part of a chloride-sensitive cell-signalling pathway that works abnormally in the CF epithelial membrane.

Epidemiology: I am developing a new EU-wide CF Database. My recent international presentations / publications from its UK-wide predecessor describe a gender-specific worse outcome for females with CF related diabetes, better outcomes relating neonatal screening to successful adult female CF fertility and remote monitoring of drug doses specified by the Committee on Safety of Medicines. Recent publications have also informed Governments of both the UK (2001/2) and USA (2003/4) about the potential benefits from genetic screening for CF at birth (Lancet, 2007) and formed part of the submission for the Neonatal Screening Programme in both countries. A new grant from the EU of £1.2M (~ £0.3M in Dundee) supports the next phase from 2006-9 to apply our expertise to create a unified database for CF. I am leading this initiative with Prof M Macek (Prague) as my deputy. Importantly, the expertise gained is being applied to a new multi-site Scottish childhood asthma database with CSO funding from 2007 (with Dr S Turner, Aberdeen, as PI).

Publications

Maintained by: H Murphie.

The University of Dundee is a Scottish Registered Charity, No.SC015096

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