Professor Munitta Muthana

Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health

School Director of One University

Professor of Immuno-oncology

Munitta Muthana
Profile picture of Munitta Muthana
m.muthana@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 215 9057

Full contact details

Professor Munitta Muthana
Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health
D Floor
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
Profile

For enquiries please contact - ClinMed-Operational@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 non-clinical lecturer and I am now Senior Lecturer in the Department of Oncology and Metabolism.

Nanobug Oncology Sheffield
Nanobug Oncology Sheffield
Research interests

Our tea. ‘Nanobug Oncology Sheffield’ (@Nanobug_Shef) focuses on developing state-of-the-art methods to target anticancer therapies to tumours. For example, we have devised a way to use macrophages as ‘trojans’ to deliver large quantities of cancer-killing virus to both primary and secondary tumours simultaneously (click here). We are currently developing innovative nanomedicine platforms to improve the targeting of drugs to tumours so that healthy tissue remains unharmed. We have used these platforms to protect and deliver oncolytic viruses via the bloodstream so that advanced metastatic cancers can be treated. These include liposomes, nanohydrogels, silk fibroin, extracellular vesicles, and magnetic nanoparticles. For the latter, we recently demonstrated that iron particles purified from magnetotactic bacteria were able to shield viruses and guide them to tumours in models of breast cancer.  https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/may/08/magnets-made-by-soil-bacteria-offer-hope-for-breast-and-prostate-cancer


Current projects

  • Targeting novel oncolytic viruses to tumours.
  • Using nanomagnet technology to improve tumour targeting.
  • Developing novel magnetic devices for cancer.
  • Using a novel microfluidic device for producing silk fibroin nanoparticles.
  • Developing nanoplatforms for targeting oncolytic viruses.
  • Characterisation of infiltrating subsets of monocytes/macrophages in the tumour microenvironment.
  • Using immune checkpoint inhibitors in combination with oncolytic viruses.
Publications

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Teaching interests

I teach Immunology on the MBChB course and I am module lead for Phase 2a immunology. I also deliver the cell-based therapies, Gene Therapy, Animal models in Research and Tumour Immunology lectures for the medical school MSc. Molecular Medicine, MSc. Translational Oncology, MSc. Advanced Cell and Gene therapy, MSc Translational Neuroscience.

Professional activities and memberships
  • American Association of Cancer Research (AACR).
  • British Society of Immunology (BSI).
  • European Macrophage and Dendritic Cell Society and British Society of Immunology.