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The newsletter is published approximately monthly during term time.

This issue covers the period February 2014 - May 2014. Please let Cat Hale
(c.hale@reading.ac.uk) know if there are items you would like included in
the next issue.
We aim to report successful grant applications, published papers, and
related research news.

Welcome
RSOP launches three new MSc by
Research Programmes in October 2014
RSOPs Dr Gary Stephens, Dr Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy, Dr Parastou Donyai
and Mrs Cat Hale have been working hard during the last few months to
prepare and launch RSOPs brand new MSc by Research programmes in
Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience, Formulation Design and Analysis and
Pharmacy Practice.

The programmes have now been confirmed by STRAM and UBTL and will
start from October 2014. Each will provide a 12 week taught component
that is aimed to prepare students for an extended 30 week laboratory-
based or clinical project within the three divisions of the Reading School
of Pharmacy divisions.

More details of the individual programmes can be found here:
http://www.reading.ac.uk/pharmacy/postgraduate/pharm-
mscbyresearch.aspx and any questions about the programme, recruiting
students etc., please contact Gary, Vitaliy or Parastou.

Inside This Issue

Welcome
RSOP Launches three MSC
by Research Programmes
Invited Talks and
Presentations
RSOP and Oxford
University Hospitals
Academic Pharmacy Unit
Launch
Hot off the Press
Funding Successes
Visit from the Alzheimers
Society
RSOP Research into Thai
Herbal Medicines
2
nd
RSOP Pharmacy
Practice Research
Showcase
Health Services Research
and Pharmacy Practice
(HSRPP) Conference


School of Pharmacy
Research Newsletter
1
st
June, 2014 #22

Reading School of Pharmacy Research News
2


Invited Talks and Presentations
It seems that RSOP staff have been very busy delivering invited
presentations during the last few months, so much so that it warrants its
own section!

Khutoryanskiy VV Advances in hydrogen-bonded polymer complexes:
nanoparticles, multilayers and capsules, University of Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Beijing, China and Pharmaceutical materials for ocular, oral and
intravesical delivery both at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,
China

Khutoryanskiy VV Polymeric hydrogels: superabsorbent and mucosa-
mimetic materials, University of Shanghai, China

Khutoryanskiy VV Approaches to improve bioavailability of drugs topically
administered to the eye, SMi Meeting on Controlled Release, London

Whalley BJ CBD and CBDV in Models of Acute Seizure and Epilepsy NHS
Scottish Epilepsy Network

Whalley BJ CBDV in Models of Acute Seizure and Epilepsy 12th Eilat
Conference of New Anti-Epileptic Drugs

Whalley BJ CBD and CBDV in Models of Acute Seizure and Epilepsy IVth
Brazilian Symposium on Medicinal Cannabis

Whalley BJ CBD and CBDV in Models of Acute Seizure and Epilepsy
European Dravet Syndrome Society

Whalley BJ BD and CBDV in Models of Acute Seizure and Epilepsy Royal
Society of Medicine Key Opinion Leader Meeting on Cannabis and
Epilepsy.



Dr Gary Stephens will be
hosting a Physiological
Society seminar entitled
"Functional assessment
of human pluripotent
stem cell-derived
cortical neurons" and
given by Prof. David
Wyllie. The seminar will
be held in Hopkins 101
on May 29
th
2014.

Dr Vitaliy
Khutoryanskiys
research group
presented at the
UKICRS Annual meeting
held at University
College Cork on 11
th

April 2014 where they
presented a talk and six
posters in total!

Ibrahim Celiker
(supervised by Prof.
Helen Osborn and Dr
Barny Greenland)
presented a poster
entitled "Design and
Synthesis of Novel
Antiviral Agents" whilst
Laura-Beth Brierley
(supervised by Prof.
Helen Osborn and Dr
John Brazier) gave a
talk entitled The
synthesis and
antibacterial profiles of
novel glycosides at the
RSCs Chemical Biology
and Bio-Organic
Chemistry
postgraduate
symposium.
On 1
st
May a second RSOP Academic Pharmacy Practice Unit was launched
which is a joint venture between RSOP and the pharmacy department of
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. The overarching aim of the APU is
to facilitate collaboration between the two organisations in research and
teaching activities. Benefits to the NHS Trust staff are access to research
expertise of RSOP staff and UoR facilities with benefits to UoR via
improved access to the practice base and specialist professional and
clinical expertise.

The launch day was very well attended by RSOP and OUH staff where Prof.
Helen Osborn and Dr Ben Whalley spoke about the ethos of the APU and
how this links to RSOPss research strategy. Dr Parastou Donyai and Dr
Rosemary Lim then introduced their research themes and highlighted
opportunities for collaboration. Mr Dan Grant and Prof. Angela
Alexander outlined the new MPharm programme and the CIPPETs CPD
programmes.

The launch has already fostered several meetings to develop new research
initiatives. If you are interested in finding out more please contact Dan,
Parastou or Ben.

RSOP and Oxford University Hospitals
Academic Pharmacy Unit Launch


Reading School of Pharmacy Research News

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Hot Off the Press!
Hill AJ, Jones NA, Smith I, Hill CL, Williams CM, Stephens GJ & Whalley BJ
(2014) Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channel blockade by plant
cannabinoids does not confer anticonvulsant effects per se. Neuroscience
Letters 566:269-74.

Duckles H, Boycott HE, Al-Owais MM, Elies J, Johnson E, Dallas ML, Porter
KE, Giuntini F, Boyle JP, Scragg JL, Peers C (2014) Heme oxygenase-1
regulates cell proliferation via carbon monoxide-mediated inhibition of T-
type Ca
2+
channels. Pflugers Arch. 2014 In Press

Elies J, Dallas ML, Boyle JP, Scragg JL, Duke A, Steele DS, Peers C (2014)
Inhibition of the cardiac Na
+
channel Nav1.5 by carbon monoxide. J Biol
Chem. In Press

Peers C, Boyle JP, Scragg JL, Dallas ML, Al-Owais MM, Hettiarachichi NT,
Elies J, Johnson E, Gamper N and Steele DS (2014) Diverse mechanisms
underlying the regulation of ion channels by carbon monoxide Br J
Pharmacol. In Press

Cook MT, Tzortsis G, Charalampopoulos D, Khutoryanskiy VV
Microencapsulation of a synbiotic into PLGA/alginate multiparticulate gels,
Int. J. Pharm., 466 (1), 400-408(2014)

Cook MT, Charalampopoulos D, Khutoryanskiy VV Visualising pH within
alginate gels using confocal microscopy, BRG News Bioencapsulation
Innovations Newsletter, March, 6-7 (2014).

Tsika E, Glauser L, Moser R, Fiser A, Daniel G, Sheerin U, Lees A, Troncoso JC,
Lewis PA, Bandopadhyay R, Schneider BL and Moore DJ (2014) Parkinsons
Disease-Linked Mutations in VPS35 Induce Dopaminergic
Neurodegeneration Human Molecular Genetics In press
Dr Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy
has edited and
published a new book
entitled Mucoadhesive
Materials and Drug
Delivery Systems,
(Wiley)
Dr Al Edwardss
company Capillary Film
Technology has won
98k TSB SBRI funding to
develop a POC Acute
Coronary Syndrome
Diagnostic.
The award sees Dr
Edwardss group
welcome Dr Jeremy
Pivetal and Ms Filipa
Pereira, new
researchers who started
in April.
Funding Successes!
Dr Angela Bithell was awarded a Royal Society Research Grant of 15,000 to
study the effects of anti-depressants on glucocorticoid receptor binding in
human brain cells in a model of depression.

RSOP PhD student Divya Ravishankar (supervised by Prof Helen Osborn
and Dr Fran Greco) has been awarded 1,800 from the Felix Trust for
conference travel

RSOP staff have been very successful in obtaining winning funds to support
undergraduate research during the summer with UROP awards to Dr Vitaliy
Khutoryanskiy and Dr Ben Whalley plus Physiological Society and
Alzheimers Society studentships to Dr Mark Dallas and Dr Gary Stephens.

Dr Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy has also been successful in winning ~20k to
support equipment, consumables, beam time access and visiting researchers
within his group from a variety of sources.

Dr Al Edwards has won 10k beam time at the ILL neutron source
(Grenoble) to study interfacial drug encapsulation.

Dr Parastou Donyai has been awarded 101,515 by Janssen-Cilag Ltd to
conduct a service evaluation of a long-acting injection formulation of
paliperidone. The project is a joint venture with Berkshire Healthcare NHS
Foundation Trust under the Academic Pharmacy Unit with Mrs Kate Masters.



Dr Patrick Lewis gave a
seminar in Leicester at
the department of
genetics on the 5
th
of
February, and a talk at
the Movement for Hope
"Rewired - art and
neuroscience" event at
the Bloomsbury Theatre,
London on the 4
th
of
Feb!

Reading School of Pharmacy Research News
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Dr Mark Dallas led the Pharmacology team to host a visit from The
Alzheimers Society. The AS is the leading UK care and research charity for
people with this disease and other dementias, their families and carers. The
research that they fund is chosen by people directly affected by dementia
and leading dementia scientists. Therefore RSOP invited the local branch
along to showcase the exciting and diverse dementia research happening at
RSOP. Dr Ben Whalley welcomed the group and highlighted the research
strengths within RSOP and how fighting brain disease is embedded in RSOP
research strategy at various levels. 3 PIs (Drs Dallas, Bithell and Lewis) then
presented some of their research to the group, taking them on a journey
from cell types in the brain, through genetics and finally unravelling the
topic of epigenetics (with the aid of Ping-Pong balls!). The group were well
informed and quizzed the PIs on various aspects of their work, including the
meaning of glia and the benefits of red wine in tackling dementia.













Following the presentations, the group received a guided tour of the
research labs within the Hopkins Building. They got a chance to see some
cells and some of the equipment we use on a routine basis, which seemed
like something from a space ship to them (except the fridges and freezers).











The afternoon session saw the group engage in a discussion with Pharmacy
Practice staff regarding medicine packaging issues. This was a problem the
group felt strongly about and the Pharmacy Practice staff guided them
through the regulations and provided advice that was well received by the
group. One highlight of the discussion was the nomination of Dr Lim to lead
a research proposal into these packing issues and the group are keen to be
closely involved with this research from the outset. The group thoroughly
enjoyed their visit to the RSOP and are keen to develop stronger links in the
future. This is particularly welcome given the Alzheimers Society sponsored
doctoral training centre grant that is currently in preparation. In addition it
gave researchers a chance to meet with people that are affected by the
disease and bring home why their research is vital in the fight against a
devastating disease for both patient and their family.






































































Visit from the Alzheimers Society
Dr Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy
and his team (pictured
above) exhibited their
research and
achievements on
polymeric hydrogels at
2014 Materials Research
Exchange: UK
Advanced Materials
Research Showcase
held in Coventry on 24-
25
th
February 2014.

In addition to exhibition
stand, Enrica Calo
(pictured above), a
PhD student in Vitaliys
group, presented a
poster Advanced
Hydrogel Compositions
for Wound Dressing
Dr Gary Stephens, Dr
Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy
and Dr Ben Whalley
have received
promotion to professor
whilst Dr Samantha
Weston has been
promoted to the
position of Associate
Professor.


Reading School of Pharmacy Research News

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PAGE 5

RSOP Research into Thai Herbal
Medicines
RSOPs Benjawan Poonthananiwatkul, a PhD student, is working towards
her PhD at Arokhayasala, Wat Khampramong, a Buddhist temple in
northern Thailand which treats cancer patients using herbal medicine. Her
supervisor, Prof Liz Williamson, took the opportunity to visit her there in
January 2014 and see the work of the temple first-hand.

It was a fascinating and uplifting experience and not at all depressing
quite the opposite as many patients live much longer and happier lives
than their condition would usually allow, and everyone there seems to be
smiling most of the time. The Abbot, who survived naso-pharyngeal cancer
himself, decided to investigate Thai herbal medicine as a way of improving
his own health and strength after being left very weak state after
chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He now treats patients using a
combination of 11 herbal medicines for all types of cancer, with extra
herbs for specific cancers and other conditions. These are used in
combination with conventional therapies prescribed by the patients' own
hospital doctors, or at Arokhayasala by volunteer doctors. The aim of the
temple is to deliver complementary treatment for advanced cancer
patients and to learn from direct experience how to improve provision of
palliative care. Since 2005, 2,821 cancer patients have been treated
(mainly liver cancer, lung and breast cancer). Wat Khampramong is
becoming well-known for its work and actively encourages scientific
research, and visits from doctors and nurses are also welcomed. Benjawan
is interviewing patients and documenting their experiences of the herbal
treatment, including side effects. The project is sponsored by the Royal
Thai Government.


Anti-clockwise from top: the entrance to the temple; boiling up the herbs
to make the medicine which all patients take each morning; Benjawan
Poonthananiwatkul with a volunteer; the Abbot explaining the work of the
temple to Prof. Williamson; herbs drying in the sun.


Reading School of Pharmacy Research News
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2
nd
RSOP Pharmacy Practice Research
Showcase
The 2
nd
RSOP Pharmacy Practice Research Showcase was held at the end of
February 2014. This event showcases work being undertaken by staff,
postgraduate students and undergraduates. We had a mix of
presentations relating to MPharm projects, as well as projects linking in
with the Academic Pharmacy Units (with the Berkshire Healthcare NHS
Foundation Trust as well as the newer APU with Oxford University
Hospitals; see above).

The event was very well-attended and we had participants from Clinical
Commissioning Groups, the hospital sector, community pharmacy as well
as colleagues representing other University departments. The organizer,
Dr Parastou Donyai, said As we develop and expand our links through
the APUs, and also launch a new MSc by Research in Pharmacy Practice, we
hope that the Pharmacy Practice Research Showcase grows in its success
and scope.



Dr Gary Stephens
attended the
Biophysical Society
meeting in San
Francisco and
presented a poster
"Synaptic vesicle
glycoprotein 2a (SV2a)
knockdown affects
calcium channel
function at peripheral
sympathetic synapses"
on work from University
of Reading (Dr Gary
Stephens and Dr Ben
Whalley) in
collaboration with a
group at Tokyo Medical
University and
supported by UCB
Pharma.
Dr Vitaliy
Khutoryanskiys
PhD student, Sarah
Smith gave a talk "The
role of mucoadhesives
in low fat food
formulations: potential
flavour and texture
enhancers" at the 2nd
Nursten Flavour
Symposium held at the
University of
Nottingham on the 28
th

April 2014.
Health Services Research and Pharmacy
Practice (HSRPP) Conference
RSOP were once again strongly represented at the Health Services
Research & Pharmacy Practice (HSRPP) conference which was held in
Aberdeen on the 3
rd
and 4
th
April.

Once again, RSOPs track record of prize winning at this meeting was
maintained with Dr Parastou Donyai collecting the runner up prize for
best oral presentation.

In recent years, RSOP have won the following prizes at this meeting:

2012 Ms Catherine Langran and Prof. Angela Alexander won Best
Poster Prize
2013 Ms Supaporn Bunsiriluck (supervised by Dr Parastou Donyai
and Prof. Liz Williamson) won Best Poster Prize
2014 Dr Parastou Donyai was awarded the runner up Prize for Best
Oral Presentation (of PhD student Saleh Almutairis work)!





Reading School of Pharmacy Research News

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