Dr Clare Muir

We study how immune cells called phagocytes kill and digest different micro-organisms, with the ultimate aim of developing new drugs that could be used to resolve inflammation and persistent infections

Dr Clare Muir

Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Anatomic Pathology

  • Centre for Inflammation Research
  • Institute for Regeneration and Repair

Contact details

Lay Summary

Immune cells called phagocytes (e.g. neutrophils and macrophages) can destroy microbes in the body by engulfing them into phagosomes - specialised compartments that break down harmful material. If phagosomes don’t mature properly, infections and inflammation can occur. We’re exploring how these phagocytes control phagosome maturation, how they adapt to different types of microbes, and how this process influences the body’s overall immune response.

Research Interests

  1. Understanding how phosphatidylinositol lipids control phagosome maturation in neutrophils and macrophages.
  2. Identifying host signaling pathways that could be used to improve pathogen killing in hard-to-treat infections. 

Research Theme

Infection and Immunity

Group members

Jacqui Rainger, Research Assistant

Selected recent publications 

  1. Pulses of Class I PI3kinase activity identify the release and recapture of prey from neutrophil phagosomes. CF Muir et al., bioRxiv 2024.02.29.582694; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.29.582694 
  1. Pioneer neutrophils release chromatin within in vivo swarms. HM, Loynes CA, Alasmari S, Kon FC, Henry KM, Kadochnikova A, Hales J, Muir CF, Keightley MC, Kadirkamanathan V, Hamilton N, Lieschke GJ, Renshaw SA, Elks PM. Elife. 2021 Jul 21;10. doi: 10.7554/eLife.68755. PubMed PMID: 34292151; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8298094. 
  1. Pellino-1 Regulates the Responses of the Airway to Viral Infection. Marsh EK, Prestwich EC, Williams L, Hart AR, Muir CF, Parker LC, Jonker MR, Heijink IH, Timens W, Fife M, Hussell T, Hershenson MB, Bentley JK, Sun SC, Barksby BS, Borthwick LA, Stewart JP, Sabroe I, Dockrell DH, Marriott HM. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020;10:456. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00456. eCollection 2020. PubMed PMID: 32984077; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7488214. 
  1. Mortalities, amyloidosis and other diseases in free-living red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) on Jersey, Channel Islands. Blackett TA, Simpson VR, Haugland S, Everest DJ, Muir CF, Smith KC, Mill AC. Vet Rec. 2018 Oct 27;183(16):503. doi: 10.1136/vr.104779. Epub 2018 Sep 4. PubMed PMID: 30181130. 
  1. Immunohistochemical differentiation of reactive from malignant mesothelium as a diagnostic aid in canine pericardial diseaseMilne E, Martinez Pereira Y, Muir C, Scase T, Shaw DJ, McGregor G, Oldroyd L, Scurrell E, Martin M, Devine C, Hodgkiss-Geere H. . J Small Anim Pract. 2018 May;59(5):261-271. doi: 10.1111/jsap.12830. Epub 2018 Apr 2. PubMed PMID: 29607509. 
  1. Canine NAPEPLD-associated models of human myelin disorders.Minor KM, Letko A, Becker D, Drögemüller M, Mandigers PJJ, Bellekom SR, Leegwater PAJ, Stassen QEM, Putschbach K, Fischer A, Flegel T, Matiasek K, Ekenstedt KJ, Furrow E, Patterson EE, Platt SR, Kelly PA, Cassidy JP, Shelton GD, Lucot K, Bannasch DL, Martineau H, Muir CF, Priestnall SL, Henke D, Oevermann A, Jagannathan V, Mickelson JR, Drögemüller C. Sci Rep. 2018 Apr 11;8(1):5818. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-23938-7. PubMed PMID: 29643404; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5895582. 
  1. Prevalence of FoxP3(+) Cells Does Not Correlate With Ki67 Expression in Canine Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma. Muir CF et al., J Comp Pathol. 2017 Jul;157(1):15-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2017.03.010. Epub 2017 Jun 6. PubMed PMID: 28735665. 
  1. Imaging Characteristics, and Long-term Outcome of Dogs with Cranial Meningocele or Meningoencephalocele. Lazzerini K, Gutierrez-Quintana R, José-López R, McConnell F, Gonçalves R, McMurrough J, De Decker S, Muir C, Priestnall SL, Mari L, Stabile F, De Risio L, Loeffler C, Tauro A, Rusbridge C, Rodenas S, Añor S, de la Fuente C, Fischer A, Bruehschwein A, Penderis J, Guevar J. Clinical Features, . J Vet Intern Med. 2017 Mar;31(2):505-512. doi: 10.1111/jvim.14638. Epub 2017 Feb 28. PubMed PMID: 28247440; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5354015. 

Collaborators 

Internal

Professor Sarah Walmsley 

Professor David Dockrell 

Professor Adriano Rossi 

Professor Marc Vendrell 

Professor Ross Fitzgerald  

Dr Joy Edwards-Hicks 

Dr Yi Feng 

Dr Sonja Vermeren  

Dr Emily Watts 

Dr Vasso Makrantoni 

External

Professor Steven Renshaw (University of Sheffield) 

Professor Alison Condliffe (University of Sheffield) 

Professor Jason King (University of Sheffield) 

Professor Simon Foster (University of Sheffield) 

Dr Hannes Maib (University of Sheffield) 

‪Dr Tomasz Prajsnar‬ (Jagiellonian University) 

Dr Constantino Carlos Reyes Aldasoro (City St George’s, University of London)  

Funders 

Wellcome Trust

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