Greaves Lab
About the Greaves lab
The Greaves lab is dedicated to finding new ways to treat and diagnose endometriosis. Our research spans discovery science through preclinical and clinical testing, with a vision to rapidly translate our discoveries into real world solutions that will improve the lives of millions of women.
Current News!
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Lab baby!
In June 2024, Iona and Vadim welcomed baby Albert into the world, the first Greaves Lab baby! Congratulations Iona and Vadim!
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New paper
Our new paper ‘Single-cell analysis identifies distinct macrophage phenotypes associated with pro-disease and pro-resolving functions in the endometriotic niche’ has recently been uploaded to Biorxiv and submitted to publishers. Read it now by following this link: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.07.583861v1
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Eleanor’s internship
‘I have just started a 6-week internship with the Warwick Institute of Engagement, which aims to bring to life the work of Warwick staff and students in an accessible, fun, and engaging way. In my role as Digital Content Curator, I will be identifying existing digital engagement on the university website and creating a new, more accessible hub so that everyone can engage more easily with research at Warwick. I will also be making some content of my own, aiming to highlight the breadth of women’s health research at the university.’ ~ Eleanor
About Endometriosis
What is endometriosis
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition that is characterised by the growth of tissue (endometriosis lesions) like the lining of the uterus elsewhere in the body, predominantly in the peritoneal cavity (abdomen). Around 1 in 10 women and people assigned female at birth have endometriosis and the disorder is associated with symptoms such as pelvic pain, painful periods that interfere with everyday life, painful bowel movements and urination, painful sex, fatigue, and infertility.
Diagnosis
For many women receiving a diagnosis of endometriosis is a long journey; it can take an average of 8 years from the onset of symptoms. The ‘gold-standard’ diagnostic technique is currently invasive laparoscopic surgery, but some centres can diagnose some lesion subtypes using MRI or ultrasound imaging. There is an urgent need for new techniques to reduce the invasiveness and time taken to diagnose endometriosis.
Treatment
There is currently no cure for endometriosis and treatment is predominantly focused on pain management with painkillers, hormonal treatment to reduce symptoms, and surgery (laparoscopy to remove lesions, or in extreme cases hysterectomy). Hormonal treatment is also not suitable for all patients as it can have undesirable side effects and prevents pregnancy. Therefore, there is also an unmet need for new non-invasive treatments that preserve fertility.
Information for Patients
Endometriosis UK:
https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/
Endometriosis UK provides information about what endometriosis is, diagnosis, treatment and management, and adenomyosis. The charity also provides opportunities to get support through support groups, a helpline, webchat, and webinars. Furthermore, you can also get involved in fundraising events, donations, the endometriosis friendly employer scheme, and volunteering, and find out about current clinical trials and research.
Endometriosis Foundation:
https://www.theendometriosisfoundation.org
The Endometriosis Foundation was launched in March 2023 and focuses on providing accurate information and addressing the needs of women with endometriosis. The charity provides easily accessible information for adults and teens about endometriosis, diagnosis, symptoms, and adenomyosis. There is also the opportunity to receive support from a nurse and the Endometriosis Foundation community as well as getting involved in fundraising, donations events, volunteering, and campaigns.
EndoWAR (Endometriosis @ Warwick):
We are currently recruiting women scheduled to undergo laparoscopy for the investigation f suspected endometriosis at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) to donate biospecimens for use in our research studies. Biospecimens include a small biopsy of endometrium, endometriosis lesions, unaffected peritoneal lining, blood and peritoneal fluid. We are trying to find new therapeutic targets and diagnostic markers.
Current Research
We have several different ongoing projects that centre around the role of the immune system in endometriosis. We are particularly interested in the role of macrophages in endometriosis; these dynamic cells are disease-modified in endometriosis such that they promote the growth of endometriosis lesions including infiltration of blood vessels and nerve fibres. They also play a key role in activating nerve fibres to cause pain. Using single cell discovery, we have characterized the many different macrophage populations present in the peritoneal cavity and in lesions and have identified pro-disease and pro-resolving macrophages.
We now know enough about macrophages in endometriosis such that we can begin to target them therapeutically. Macrophages (and their precursors, monocytes) are so intertwined in the pathophysiology of endometriosis that we believe they would also be ideal for the basis of a non-invasive diagnostic test. We currently have funding from the MRC to profile peripheral blood monocytes and monocyte-like cells to identify a transcriptional signature.
Lab Members
Dr Matthew Rosser
In 2019 I joined the Greaves Lab at the University of Warwick as the senior research technician after graduating with my PhD in the role of lipid metabolites in endometriosis from the University of Manchester. I have a long history of endometriosis research and am proud to contribute to one of the few dedicated endometriosis research groups in the UK. Currently, my role involves supporting all members of the lab in their research activities (I work across all projects), developing, implementing and optimising new techniques (such as full spectrum flow cytometry, single cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics) and overseeing the collection of human samples and clinical metadata for our research.
Dr Antonia Cuff
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher that implements single-cell transcriptomics, immunology and functional assays to better understand how we can improve outcomes for people with endometriosis. Working collaboratively in the team of A/Prof Erin Greaves in the Division of Biomedical Sciences, I achieve this by exploring the heterogeneous population of immune cells in tissues where endometriosis establishes, and predominantly focusing on macrophages which are implicated during endometriosis.
I have a rich history of immunological research in various contexts including the uterus. I had the fantastic opportunity to establish the frequency, numbers and localisation of type 3 innate lymphoid cells of multiple reproductive stages in healthy people during my PhD at Imperial College London. I learned a lot of the skills I now use to address health challenges, like endometriosis, during my research training before my PhD studies, where I had opportunities to study immune cell development from the bone marrow and also in the context of liver transplantation. I enjoy putting these learned skills into practice to answer pertinent questions around human health, and contributing knowledge that is working towards their resolution.
Links:
ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7715-7183, Linkedin:https://uk.linkedin.com/in/antonia-cuff-76ab3929
Eleanor Harrison
I joined the Greaves Lab as a PhD student in 2022, as part of the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research DTP funded by the MRC, co-supervised by Professor Jan Brosens. My research focuses on investigating the processes that may prevent the development of endometriosis, with the aim to apply these findings to treat and/or prevent the disease in the future. I employ a combination of bioinformatics, which involves using computers to make sense of large collections of biological data, and mouse model studies, which give us insight into how a disease develops and what treatments might be most effective. Additionally, I enjoy engaging with the public about our work and learning how we can be better at communicating scientific research in general.
Niky Moolchandani Adwani
I am a first year PhD student! My PhD is in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research (IBR) which is funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).
My project involves studying the extracellular matrix (ECM) and macrophage interaction within in the endometriosis niche. I want to understand how the physical properties of tissues, like stiffness and collagen content, influence macrophage phenotype and behaviour in endometriosis.
I am implementing a mouse model of experimental endometriosis to visualise macrophage phenotype in the endometriosis lesions and correlate it to the collagen present. I am also looking at macrophage migration on different substrates and using chemokines to understand their behaviour in the ECM.
Links:
Linkedin:www.linkedin.com/in/nikymladwani, X handle: @Niky_27_
Emma Park
I am currently a trainee embryologist at the Centre for Reproductive Medicine in Coventry in my 2nd Year of the Scientist Training Programme (STP). In January 2024, I joined the Greaves Lab alongside my clinical training to complete a research project for my Masters in Cellular Sciences at Manchester Metropolitan University, the academic portion of the STP. I will be investigating whether there are key differences in macrophage populations between healthy patients and those with endometriosis in hopes of determining a target for endometriosis diagnostics.
I previously worked in the Greaves Lab in during my BSc(Hons) degree in Reproductive Biology at the University of Edinburgh in 2019, investigating endometriosis lesion heterogeneity using immunofluorescence techniques. I have also carried out research into the comparison of clinical outcomes following ovarian stimulation with recombinant FSH vs highly purified hMG in IVF patients as part of my MMedSci at the University of Nottingham in 2020. I also took part in a systematic review that aimed to determine whether a triple line endometrial pattern was a positive prognostic factor for clinical outcomes in IVF.
I thoroughly enjoy carrying out research that I believe will help to create new therapeutic methods for patients with reproductive disorders. I believe the collaboration between research facilities and clinical IVF facilities is essential to push the field forward and improve the care we can provide patients in the reproductive field. This will be a goal I strive towards when I become a registered clinical embryologist.
Emily Fox
In 2023, I joined the University of Warwick to undertake an MSc Scientific Research and Communication degree after completing a BSc Biomedical Science degree at the University of Worcester (IBMS accredited). I am currently completing a research project with the Greaves lab exploring monocytes and macrophages in endometriosis. I am interested in using my scientific knowledge to pursue a career in medical communications, particularly medical writing.
I am currently working on a research project with Dr Antonia Cuff (Postdoc) focusing on using single-cell RNA sequencing to learn more about monocytes and macrophages in women with endometriosis. My research aims to identify monocyte biomarkers in the peripheral blood for the diagnosis of endometriosis and identify macrophage phenotypes in the peritoneal fluid as targets for novel endometriosis therapies.
Links:
Current Grants
2024 - 2026
Chief Scientist Office (CSO) research Grant, ‘MAC-Endo: A proof-of-concept and feasibility study of macrophage-targeted immunotherapy in the management of endometriosis- associated pain. A W Horne (PI) and E Greaves,£299,999.
2022 - 2024
Pamela Marlow Legacy Fund (Spatial Transcriptomics), ‘Characterisation of macrophage ‘type’ and localisation during progression of Endometriosis. E Greaves(PI), £22,989.23
2022 - 2025
MRC Research Grant, ‘Defining the role of monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages in the pathophysiology of endometriosis to accelerate clinical translation’. E Greaves (PI) and C Becker, £1.023M
Selected Publications
- Henlon, Y., Panir, K., Mclntyre, I., Hogg. C., Dhami, P., Cuff, A. O., Senior, A., Moolchandani-Adwani, N., Courtois, E. T., Horne, A. W., Rosser, M., Ott, S. & Greaves, E. (2024).‘Single-cell analysis identifies distinct macrophage phenotypes associated with pro-disease and pro-resolving functions in the endometriotic niche’.bioRxiv[Preprint]. Available at:https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.07.583861v1
- Dorning A., Dhami, P., Panir, K., Hogg, C., Park, E., Ferguson, G. D., Hargrove, D., Karras, J., Horne, A. W., Greaves, E. (2021).‘Bioluminescent imaging in induced mouse models of endometriosis reveals differences in four model variations’.Dis Model Mech,14(8), dmm049070. DOI:10.1242/dmm.049070Link opens in a new window. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34382636/
- Hogg, C., Panir, K., Dhami, P., Rosser, M., Mack, M., Soong, D., Pollard, J. Q., Jenkins, S. J., Horne, A. W., Greaves, E. (2021). ‘Macrophages inhibit and enhance endometriosis depending on their origin’.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A,118(6), e2013776118. DOI:10.1073/pnas.2013776118Link opens in a new window. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33536334/
- Greaves, E., Rosser, M., & Saunders, P. T. K., (2020). ‘Endometriosis-Associated Pain - Do Preclinical Rodent Models Provide a Good Platform for Translation?’.Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol,232, pp. 25-55. DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-51856-1_3Link opens in a new window. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33278006/
- Horne, A. W., Ahmad, S. F., Carter, R., Simitsidellis, I., Greaves, E., Hogg. C., Morton, N. M., & Saunders, P. T. K. (2019).‘Repurposing dichloroacetate for the treatment of women with endometriosis’.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 116(51), pp. 25389-25391. DOI:10.1073/pnas.1916144116Link opens in a new window. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31792175/
- Forster, R., Sargison, A., Velichkova, A., Hogg. C., Dorning, A., Horne, A. W., Saunders, P. T. K., & Greaves, E. (2019).‘Macrophage-derived insulin-like growth factor-1 is a key neurotrophic and nerve-sensitizing factor in pain associated with endometriosis’.FASEB J,33(10), pp. 11210-11222. DOI:10.1096/fj.201900797RLink opens in a new window. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31291762/
- Greaves,E., Horne, A. W., Jerina, H., Mikolajczak, M., Hilferty, L., Mitchell, R., Fleetwood-Walker, S. M., & Saunders, P. T. (2017).‘EP2 receptor antagonism reduces peripheral and central hyperalgesia in a preclinical mouse model of endometriosis’. Sci Rep, 7, pp. 44169. DOI: 10.1038/srep44169. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28281561/
- Greaves, E., Temp, J., Esnal-Zufiurre, A., Mechsner, S., Horne, A. W., & Saunders, P. T. (2015). ‘Estradiol is a critical mediator of macrophage-nerve cross talk in peritoneal endometriosis’. Am J Pathol, 185(8), pp. 2286–2297. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2015.04.012. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26073038/
- Greaves, E., Collins, F., Esnal-Zufiaurre, A., Giakoumelou, S., Horne, A. W., & Saunders, P. T. (2014).‘Estrogen receptor (ER) agonists differentially regulate neuroangiogenesis in peritoneal endometriosis via the repellent factor SLIT3’. Endocrinology, 155(10), pp. 4015–4026. DOI: 10.1210/en.2014-1086. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25051436/
- Greaves, E., Grieve, K., Horne, A. W., & Saunders, P. T. (2014).‘Elevated peritoneal expression and estrogen regulation of nociceptive ion channels in endometriosis’. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 99(9), E1738–E1743. DOI: 10.1210/jc.2014-2282. Available at:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25029427/