Dr Munitta Muthana
Department of Oncology and Metabolism
Senior Lecturer

+44 114 215 9057
Full contact details
Department of Oncology and Metabolism
D Floor
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
- Profile
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For enquiries, please contact - om-operationalteam@sheffield.ac.uk
I joined The University of Sheffield in 2002 as a post-doctoral scientist in the Immunobiology Research Unit. From 2005 I held a research position in the Tumour Targeting Group where I was awarded funding as an independent researcher from the Prostate Cancer Charity (2007) and the Medical Research Council (2010). In 2011 I was appointed as a non-clinical lecturer.
- Research interests
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Our research focuses on the role of innate immune cells like macrophages in inflammatory disease including cancer. Recently, we have used our knowledge of this area to develop innovative cell-based methods to target anticancer therapies to tumours. For example, we have devised a way to use macrophages to deliver large quantities of cancer-killing virus to both primary and secondary tumours simultaneously.
We are also interested in developing innovative approaches to improve the targeting of cancer therapies only to the tumour so that healthy tissue remains unharmed. To do this we have developed a novel nanomagnetic approach.
BBC News report on Trojan-horse therapy
Current projects
- Targeting novel oncolytic viruses to tumours
- Using nanomagnet technology to improve tumour targeting
- Developing novel magnetic devices for cancer
- Characterisation of infiltrating subsets of monocytes/macrophages in diseased tissues including the arthritic joint and the tumour microenvironment
- Publications
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Featured publications
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All publications
Journal articles
- Magnetosomes and magnetosome mimics : preparation, cancer cell uptake and functionalization for future cancer therapies. Pharmaceutics, 13(3).
- Reovirus-induced cell-mediated immunity for the treatment of multiple myeloma within the resistant bone marrow niche.. J Immunother Cancer, 9(3).
- Development of a new hyaluronic acid based redox-responsive nanohydrogel for the encapsulation of oncolytic viruses for cancer immunotherapy. Nanomaterials, 11(1).
- Cell-based tracers as Trojan horses for image-guided surgery. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(2).
- Specific targeting of PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil®) to tumour cells using a novel TIMP3 peptide. Molecules, 26(1).
- Oestrogen and zoledronic acid driven changes to the bone and immune environments: potential mechanisms underlying the differential anti-tumour effects of zoledronic acid in pre- and post-menopausal conditions. Journal of Bone Oncology, 25.
- Designer nanocarriers for navigating the systemic delivery of oncolytic viruses. Nanomedicine, 15(1), 93-110.
- microRNAs regulating Tribbles-1: potential molecular targets in prostate cancer. European Urology Supplements, 18(8), e3090-e3091.
- Macrophage-associated changes in peri-prostatic adipose tissue; a novel local driver of prostate tumorigenesis?. European Urology Supplements, 18(8), e3060-e3060.
- Nanoparticles: Properties and Applications in Cancer Immunotherapy. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 25(17), 1962-1979.
- The Autoimmune Susceptibility Gene C5orf30 Regulates Macrophage-Mediated Resolution of Inflammation. The Journal of Immunology, 202(4), 1069-1078.
- Magnetic-silk/polyethyleneimine core-shell nanoparticles for targeted gene delivery into human breast cancer cells. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 555, 322-336. View this article in WRRO
- Myeloma-Specific Oncolytic Adenovirus Induces Significant Tumour Oncolysis In Vitro and In Vivo and Prevents Cell Line Regrowth. Blood, 132(Supplement 1), 3213-3213.
- Magnetic-Silk Core–Shell Nanoparticles as Potential Carriers for Targeted Delivery of Curcumin into Human Breast Cancer Cells. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 3(6), 1027-1038. View this article in WRRO
- Macrophages and Neutrophils: Regulation of the Inflammatory Microenvironment in Autoimmunity and Cancer.. Mediators Inflamm, 2016, 5894347-5894347. View this article in WRRO
- An Orally Bioavailable, Indole-3-glyoxylamide Based Series of Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitors Showing Tumor Growth Inhibition in a Mouse Xenograft Model of Head and Neck Cancer. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 58(23), 9309-9333. View this article in WRRO
- Histone deacetylase 1 regulates tissue destruction in rheumatoid arthritis. Human Molecular Genetics, 24(19), 5367-5377. View this article in WRRO
- C5orf30 is a negative regulator of tissue damage in rheumatoid arthritis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(37), 11618-11623. View this article in WRRO
- Perivascular M2 Macrophages Stimulate Tumor Relapse after Chemotherapy. Cancer Research, 75(17), 3479-3491.
- Directing cell therapy to anatomic target sites in vivo with magnetic resonance targeting. Nature Communications, 6. View this article in WRRO
- Development of a Trojan horse oncolytic virus for treatment of myeloma.. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 33(15_suppl), e14035-e14035.
- 233. Biological Roles of C5ORF30 in Rheumatoid Arthritis Synovial Fibroblasts. Rheumatology, 53(suppl_1), i147-i147.
- 79. Investigation of the Role of Histone Deacetylases in Rheumatoid Arthritis Synovial Fibroblasts. Rheumatology, 53(suppl_1), i85-i85.
- Vitamin D deficiency and exogenous vitamin D excess similarly increase diffuse atherosclerotic calcification in apolipoprotein E knockout mice.. PLoS One, 9(2), e88767. View this article in WRRO
- A peptide derived from TIMP-3 inhibits multiple angiogenic growth factor receptors and tumour growth and inflammatory arthritis in mice.. Angiogenesis, 17(1), 207-219. View this article in WRRO
- THU0004 The Role of Histone Deacetylases in Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblasts-Like Synoviocytes. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 72(Suppl 3), A165.4-A166.
- THU0107 Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 2A is Preferentially Expressed by M2-Like Synovial Macrophages in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 72(Suppl 3), A199.1-A199.
- THU0080 The Role of C5ORF30 in Rheumatoid Arthritis Pathogenesis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 72(Suppl 3), A190.2-A190.
- AB0087 Tissue localisation of acid sensing proteins in synovial biopsies from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 72(Suppl 3), A812.2-A812.
- The role of histone deacetylases in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes.. Biochem Soc Trans, 41(3), 783-788.
- Case Reports * 1. A Late Presentation of Loeys-Dietz Syndrome: Beware of TGF Receptor Mutations in Benign Joint Hypermobility. Rheumatology, 52(suppl 1), i56-i94.
- Oral Abstracts 7: RA Clinical * O37. Long-Term Outcomes of Early RA Patients Initiated with Adalimumab Plus Methotrexate Compared with Methotrexate Alone Following a Targeted Treatment Approach. Rheumatology, 52(suppl 1), i44-i55.
- Construction of Human Monocyte Derived Macrophages Armed with Oncolytic Viruses. BIO-PROTOCOL, 3(13).
- Macrophage delivery of an oncolytic virus abolishes tumor regrowth and metastasis after chemotherapy or irradiation.. Cancer Res, 73(2), 490-495.
- Khat (Catha edulis) alters the phenotype and anti-microbial activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells.. J Ethnopharmacol, 138(3), 780-787.
- Angiopoietin 2 stimulates TIE2-expressing monocytes to suppress T cell activation and to promote regulatory T cell expansion.. J Immunol, 186(7), 4183-4190.
- Mathematical modeling predicts synergistic antitumor effects of combining a macrophage-based, hypoxia-targeted gene therapy with chemotherapy.. Cancer Res, 71(8), 2826-2837.
- Use of macrophages to target therapeutic adenovirus to human prostate tumors.. Cancer Res, 71(5), 1805-1815.
- Tumour infiltrating host cells and their significance for hyperthermia.. Int J Hyperthermia, 26(3), 247-255.
- The role of myeloid cells in the promotion of tumour angiogenesis.. Nat Rev Cancer, 8(8), 618-631.
- A novel magnetic approach to enhance the efficacy of cell-based gene therapies.. Gene Ther, 15(12), 902-910.
- The dual immunoregulatory roles of stress proteins.. Trends Biochem Sci, 33(2), 71-79.
- A non-receptor-mediated mechanism for internalization of molecular chaperones.. Methods, 43(3), 238-244.
- Administration of the stress protein gp96 prolongs rat cardiac allograft survival, modifies rejection-associated inflammatory events, and induces a state of peripheral T-cell hyporesponsiveness.. Cell Stress Chaperones, 12(1), 71-82.
- Analysis of purified gp96 preparations from rat and mouse livers using 2-D gel electrophoresis and tandem mass spectrometry.. Biochimie, 88(9), 1165-1174.
- The stress protein gp96 is not an activator of resting rat bone marrow-derived dendritic cells, but is a costimulator and activator of CD3+ T cells.. Cell Stress Chaperones, 11(4), 364-378.
- Identification of a rat bone marrow-derived dendritic cell population which secretes both IL-10 and IL-12: evidence against a reciprocal relationship between IL-10 and IL-12 secretion.. Immunobiology, 211(5), 391-402.
- Hypoxia regulates macrophage functions in inflammation.. J Immunol, 175(10), 6257-6263.
- Heat shock proteins and allograft rejection.. Contrib Nephrol, 148, 122-134.
- Systematic evaluation of the conditions required for the generation of immature rat bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and their phenotypic and functional characterization.. J Immunol Methods, 294(1-2), 165-179.
- Apoptotic cell death in conjunction with CD80 costimulation confers uveal melanoma cells with the ability to induce immune responses.. Immunology, 109(1), 41-48.
- Macrophage-mediated response to hypoxia in disease. Hypoxia, 185-185. View this article in WRRO
- Macrophages Mediate the Anti-Tumor Effects of the Oncolytic Virus HSV1716 in Mammary Tumors. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, molcanther.0748.2020-molcanther.0748.2020.
Chapters
- The tumor microenvironment: The role of tumor-associated macrophages in cancer progression and responses to therapy, Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy (pp. 43-62). Oxford University Press
- Role of Tumour-Associated Macrophages in the Regulation of Angiogenesis, Tumour-Associated Macrophages (pp. 17-29). Springer New York
- The Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of the Stress Protein GP96, Heat Shock Proteins: Potent Mediators of Inflammation and Immunity (pp. 309-320). Springer Netherlands
- Immunoregulatory Activities of Extracellular Stress Proteins, Cell Stress Proteins (pp. 377-395). Springer New York
Conference proceedings papers
- Oncolytic herpesvirus therapy for mesothelioma – A Phase I/IIa trial of intrapleural administration of HSV1716. Lung Cancer
- Abstract LB-188: Breast cancer immunotherapy using magnetized HSV1716. Immunology
- Abstract LB-136: Targeting perivascular macrophages to prevent castration resistance in men with high-risk, localized prostate cancer. Tumor Biology
- Abstract LB-136: Targeting perivascular macrophages to prevent castration resistance in men with high-risk, localized prostate cancer. Tumor Biology
- Abstract LB-036: Tetraspanin 5 expressing macrophages promote mammary tumor growth. Tumor Biology
- Abstract LB-036: Tetraspanin 5 expressing macrophages promote mammary tumor growth. Tumor Biology
- Abstract LB-188: Breast cancer immunotherapy using magnetized HSV1716. Immunology
- Breast cancer immunotherapy using magnetised oncolytic viruses. European Journal of Cancer, Vol. 92 (pp S4-S4)
- Abstract 2938: Tumour-associated macrophage polarisation and re-education with oncolytic viruses. Tumor Biology
- OP0134 The Rheumatoid Arthritis Susceptibility Gene C5ORF30 Acts as An Immunomodulator in Macrophages. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Vol. 75(Suppl 2) (pp 107.1-107)
- Development of a Trojan horse oncolytic virus for treatment of myeloma.. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY, Vol. 33(15)
- OP0296 Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 2A Regulates Macrophage Function in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Vol. 73(Suppl 2) (pp 174.2-174)
- THU0515 C5orf30 A Novel Regulator of Tissue Damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Vol. 73(Suppl 2) (pp 361.3-361)
- FRI0360 Histone Deacetylase One Contributes to the Auto-Aggressive Phenotype of Rheumatoid Arthritis Synovial Fibroblasts. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Vol. 73(Suppl 2) (pp 517.2-517)
- Acid sensing protein genes are expressed in human rheumatoid-derived synoviocytes. BONE, Vol. 50 (pp S191-S191)
- Engineering macrophages to synthesize recombinant adenoviruses in hypoxic areas of human prostate tumours. DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY, Vol. 15(23-24) (pp 1097-1098)
- Magnetosomes and magnetosome mimics : preparation, cancer cell uptake and functionalization for future cancer therapies. Pharmaceutics, 13(3).
- Teaching interests
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I teach on the MBChB course and am the module lead for the phase 2 immunology module. I also deliver the cell-based therapies and tumour immunology lectures for the BSc Biomedical Sciences degree course and the medical school Masters in Molecular Medicine and Translational Oncology.
- Professional activities
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- American Association of Cancer Research (AACR)
- British Society of Immunology (BSI)
- European Macrophage and Dendritic Cell Society and British Society of Immunology