IL-1beta-induced changes in intracellular calcium dynamics and TrpC3 expression: delineation of the signal transduction cascade

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Inflammation is a key biological progress that impacts on all aspects of life. It is implicated in fertilisation, embryo development, timing of birth, protection of the living organisms from infection, brain function and ageing. Inappropriate activation of inflammatory processes underlies the development of asthma, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, premature labour and tumour formation. It is essential for scientists, therefore, to fully understand how inflammation influences organisms at the tissue and cellular level. Our project looks how inflammation is involved in priming the pregnant uterus for labour. We seek to understand how an inflammatory agent arriving at the surface of a uterine muscle cell can cause changes in deep within cells in order to switich on specific genes and thereby ultimately make the uterus muscle more capable of contracting powerfully during labour. Knowledge of this process will not only help us understand labour but give new insights into how similar muscles found in blood vessels, airways, gut and the bladder respond to inflammation. This will hopefully inform other researchers attempting to find ways to combat a wide range of diseases and promote human health.