Keith Thompson

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT KEITH THOMPSON

My current research is focused on developing novel immunomodulatory strategies to improve bone repair, and also to determine the underlying mechanisms of poor fracture healing in patients. The ultimate aim of this work is to gain a thorough understanding of the roles of the immune system, sensory reinnervation and reparative mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in the fracture healing process, to enhance regenerative medicine approaches for restoration of cartilage and bone tissue. Assisted by the clinical surgeon network of the AO Foundation, we also focus on immune responses following bacterial infection of bone, to identify novel biomarkers of infection and aid clinical diagnostic methodologies.Previously, my research investigated how immune cells (γδ T cells) interacted with cells implicated in the pathophysiology of joint damage associated with chronic inflammatory diseases, such as osteoclasts, synovial fibroblasts and MSCs. This work was kindly supported by a 5-year Non-Clinical Career Development Fellowship from Arthritis Research UK (now Versus Arthritis) and was driven by findings from my PhD studies, which revealed the mechanism of how anti-resorptive bisphosphonate drugs (widely used to treat post-menopausal osteoporosis) activate the major subset of γδ T cells in humans. This finding not only revealed the underlying mechanism for the major side effect of these drugs in clinical practice but also provided further support for the safe use of γδ T cell-inducing therapies for the treatment of cancer.