Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Research Group
| Contact: | Norman Hughes |
|---|---|
| Phone: | +61 3 8344 5873 |
| Fax: | +61 3 8344 4004 |
| Email: | norman.hughes@unimelb.edu.au |
Various aspects of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary conditions. Liver research has included studies of portal hypertension, liver fibrosis, the brain in porto-systemic encephalopathy, autoimmune hepatitis, vanishing bile duct syndrome, NASH and NAFLD, while gastrointestinal studies have included microscopic colitis, celiac disease and gastric cancer.
More recently, novel cell markers have been used to study cell phenotypes displayed by gastric adenocarcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, bile duct adenoma and gallbladder carcinoma.
Objectives
Current interest is focussed on the use of cell markers to (1) study the relationship between metaplasia, dysplasia and cancer in foregut tissues, (2) identify the cell origin of tumours of foregut tissues and (3) assist the histopathological diagnosis of tumours.
Recent Achievements
The role of myofibroblasts in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension. The development of monoclonal antibodies to unique foregut antigens and their use in clarifying the cell phenotypes of bile duct adenoma, gastric carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder carcinoma. In June, 2007, Prithi Bhathal was presented the Distinguished Pathologist Award of the International Academy of Pathology, and in October of 2007 the Distinguished Research Prize of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia.
Techniques
- Histochemical and immunohistochemical staining of tissue sections.
- Cell culture and monoclonal antibody production.
- Cell and tissue isolation procedures.
- Gel, ion exchange and affinity chromatographic and electrophoretic purification of proteins.
- Immunological identification and assay of proteins.
Collaborations
- Professor Finlay Macrae, Genetics and Colorectal Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC.
- A/Prof John B Dixon, Head of the Obesity Research Unit, Department of General Practice, Monash University, Melbourne; Senior Research Fellow, Human Neurotransmitters Laboratory, Vascular and Hypertension Division – Obesity Research, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC.
- Professor John K Olynyk, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia; Director of Gastroenterology, Fremantle Hospital, Western Australia.
- A/Prof Mathias Ernst, Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne VIC.
- Professor Bronwyn Kingwell, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC.
- A/Prof Brendan J Jenkins, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC.
- Dr Zachary Goodman, Dept of Pathology and Centre for Liver Diseases, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA, U.S.A..
- A/Prof Chawalit Pairojkul, Dept. of Pathology, Khonkaen University, Thailand.
Funding
- Industry funding
Recent Publications
- CL Kennedy, M Najdovska, GW Jones, L McLeod, NR Hughes, C Allison, CH Ooi, P Tan, RL Ferrero, SA Jones, A Dev, W Sievert, PS Bhathal, BR Jenkins. The molecular pathogenesis of STAT3-driven gastric tumourogenesis in mice is independent of IL-17. J Pathol 2011;224:264-264.
- NR Hughes, ZD Goodman, PS Bhathal. An immunohistochemical profile of the so-called bile duct adenoma. Am J Surg Pathol 2010;34:1312-1318.
- Eu Jin Lim, Prithi Bhathal, Peter P Tagkalidis, Anthony G Speer. Catching a chameleon: IgG4-related systemic disease. MJA 2010;193:418-420
- Matthias Ernst, Meri Najdovska, Dianne Grail, Therese Lundgren-May, Michael Buchert, Hazel Tye, Vance B. Matthews, Jane Armes, Prithi S Bhathal, Norman R Hughes, Eric G Marcusson, James G Karras, Songqing Na, Jonathon D Sedgwick, Paul J Hertzog 2, and Brendan J Jenkins. STAT3 and STAT1 mediate IL-11–dependent and inflammation-associated gastric tumorigenesis in gp130 receptor mutant mice. J Clinical Investigation 2008;118 (5):11727-38
- Peter P Tagkalidis, Peter R Gibson, Prithi S Bhathal. Microscopic colitis demonstrates a T helper cell type 1 mucosal cytokine profile. J Clin Pathol 2007;60:382-387.
- Michelle M Richardson, Julie R Jonsson, Elizabeth E Powell, Elizabeth M Brunt, Brent A Neuschwander-tetri, Prithi S Bhathal, John B Dixon, Martin D Weltman, Herbet Tilg, Alexander R Moschen, David M Purdie, Anthony J Demitris, Andrew D Clouston. Progressive Fibrosis in Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis: Association with Altered Regeneration and a Ductular Reaction. Gastroenterology 2007;133:80-90.
- NR Hughes, C Pairojkul, SG Royce, A Clouston, PS Bhathal. Liver fluke-associated and sporadic cholangiocarcinoma: an immunohistochemical study of bile duct, peribiliary gland and tumour cell phenotypes. J Clin Pathol 2006;59:1073-1078.
- Dixon JB, Bhathal PS, O’Brien PE. Weight loss and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: falls in gammaglutamyl transferase concentrations are associated with histologic improvements. Obes Surg 2006;16(10):1278-1286.
- Hugh J Cornell, Finlay A Macrae, Joy Melny, Catherine J Pizzey, Fiona Cook, Sandra Mason, Prithi S Bhathal, Teodor Stelmasiak. Enzyme therapy for management of coeliac disease. Scan J Gastroenterol 2005;40:1304-1312.
- Dixon JB, Bhathal PS, Hughes NR, O’Brien PE. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Improvement in liver histology analysis with weight loss. Hepatology 2004;39:1647-1654.
- Adrian L Polglase, Simon F Grodski, Ann B Tremayne, Justin BL Chee, Prithi S Bhathal. Local recurrence following surgical treatment for carcinoma of the lower rectum. ANZ J Surg 2004;74:745-750.
- JB Dixon, Prithi S Bhathal, Julie R Jonsson, Andrew F Dixon, Elizabeth Powell, Paul E O’Brien. Pro-fibrotic polymorphism predictive of advanced liver fibrosis in the severely obese. J Hepatol 2003;39(6):967-971.
- H. Varnholt, JN Vauthey, P Dal Cin, R de W Marsh, PS Bhathal, NR Hughes, GY Lauwers. Biliary Adenofibroma – a rare neoplasm of bile duct origin with an indolent behavior. Am J Surg Pathol 2003;27(5):693-698.
- Tagkalidis PP. Royce SG. Macrae FA. Bhathal PS. Selective colonization by Helicobacter pylori of the deep gastric glands and intracellular canaliculi of parietal cells in the setting of chronic proton pump inhibitor use. Europ J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2002. 14(4):453-6.
- Tagkalidis P. Bhathal P. Gibson P. Microscopic colitis. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2002. 17(3):236-48.
- Dixon JB, Bhathal PS, O'Brien PE. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: predictors of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis in the severely obese. Gastroenterology 2001 121(1):91-100.
- Royce SG, Hughes NR, Binos S, Underwood JR, Bhathal PS. Vertebrate phylogeny of antigen D10: identification of a conserved foregut cell lineage. Histochem Cell Biol 2000;114:125-135.
- Hughes NR, Bhathal PS. Gastric mucous neck cell and intestinal goblet cell phenotypes in gastric adenocarcinoma. J Clin Pathol 1997;50:741-748.