For over ten years Dr Mark Dockrell has been interested in identifying the signal pathways inside cells to better understand how the cell works and to possibly identify new targets for medicines.

TGF-beta is a growth factor involved in a number of diseases including kidney fibrosis. It signals between cells and mediates a wide range of events such as; the production of scar tissue by regulating extracellular matrix proteins, cell differentiation and anti-inflammatory responses. The regulation of such a variety of outcomes by a single growth factor implies that the effects of TGF-beta are regulated by complex signalling pathways in the cell. Much of Dr Dockrell's work involves attempting to dissect some of these signalling pathways.

The signalling pathway currently under investigation include the Smad pathway, the Ras/MAP kinase pathway, and the more recently identified Erk5 signalling pathway.

in Proteinuria we believe that Albumin Protein sticks to Megalin on the surface of the cell. Within the cell, messages are then transmitted from Megalin. Recently, Dr Dockrell has been trying to identify what signals are transmitted within the cell from Megalin and how these signals might relate to scarring of the kidney (interstitial fibrosis). Within our laboratories, we are focusing on two candidate signalling pathways; the MAP kinase pathway and the novel and less understood Dab2 signalling protein.