Dr Adam Lightfoot

Academic and professional qualifications

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences

MRes Cell Biology

PhD Pathophysiology

Fellow of the HEA

Why study ?

Postgraduate supervision (completed/in progress)

Co-supervisor: Mr Samuel Webb (MMU)  2017- 2019

Director of Studies: Miss Anastasia Thoma (MMU)  2017 - 2021

Dr Kate Earl, BBSRC-DTP (University of Liverpool) Completed

Miss Rhiannon Morgan (University of Liverpool) 2016-

External examiner roles

Ph.D. - Abertay University, Dundee

Research expertise

• Cellular mechanisms of skeletal muscle weakness and dysfunction in disease and ageing
• The roles of Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species in skeletal muscle
• Impact of cytokines and the secretome in myopathologies
• Role of exosomes in intercellular signalling and as therapeutic vehicles

Publications

• Featured Works

  A. Thoma, M. Lyon, N. Al-Shanti, GA. Nye, RG. Cooper, et al. AP. Lightfoot. (2020). Eukarion-134 attenuates endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in human skeletal muscle cells. Antioxidants.

• Books (authored/edited/special issues)

  AP. Lightfoot (2016). Skeletal muscles in the rheumatic diseases - Rheumatology 7th Edition. Elsevier.

  AP. Lightfoot (2016). Muscle Physiology in IIM - The Myositis Handbook: An Inclusive Guide to the Inflammatory Myopathies. Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers.

• Journal articles

  AM. Mahmoud, FL. Wilkinson, AP. Lightfoot, JM. Dos Santos, MA. Sandhu (2021). The Role of Natural and Synthetic Antioxidants in Modulating Oxidative Stress in Drug-Induced Injury and Metabolic Disorders 2020. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2021, pp.1-3.

  AM. Mahmoud, FL. Wilkinson, MA. Sandhu, AP. Lightfoot (2021). The Interplay of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Potential of Antioxidants. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2021, pp.1-4.

  A. Thoma, M. Lyon, N. Al-Shanti, GA. Nye, RG. Cooper, et al. AP. Lightfoot. (2020). Eukarion-134 attenuates endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in human skeletal muscle cells. Antioxidants.

  O42. Is Muscle a Chemotactic Organ in the Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIM)? Overexpression of MHC I (H-2Kb) in C2C12 Myotubes Results in Release of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines. Rheumatology.

  JE. Parkes, A. Thoma, AP. Lightfoot, PJ. Day, H. Chinoy, et al. JA. Lamb. (2020). MicroRNA and mRNA profiling in the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. BMC Rheumatology. 4(1),

  A. Lightfoot, R. Morgan, J. Parkes, A. Thoma, L. Iwanejko, et al. R. Cooper. (2018). 17-(Allylamino)-17demethoxygeldanamycin reduces Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in C2C12 myotubes. bioRxiV.

  A. Thoma, AP. Lightfoot (2018). Nf-kb and inflammatory cytokine signalling: Role in skeletal muscle atrophy. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 1088, pp.267-279.

  GK. Sakellariou, AP. Lightfoot, KE. Earl, M. Stofanko, B. McDonagh (2017). Redox homeostasis and age-related deficits in neuromuscular integrity and function. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle. 8(6), pp.881-906.

  GA. Nye, GK. Sakellariou, H. Degens, AP. Lightfoot (2017). Muscling in on mitochondrial sexual dimorphism; role of mitochondrial dimorphism in skeletal muscle health and disease. Clinical science (London, England : 1979). 131(15), pp.1919-1922.

  GK. Sakellariou, T. Pearson, AP. Lightfoot, GA. Nye, N. Wells, et al. II. Giakoumaki, RD. Griffiths, A. McArdle, MJ. Jackson. (2016). Long-term administration of the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant mitoquinone mesylate fails to attenuate age-related oxidative damage or rescue the loss of muscle mass and function associated with aging of skeletal muscle. The FASEB Journal. 30(11), pp.3771-3785.

  AP. Lightfoot, RG. Cooper (2016). The role of myokines in muscle health and disease. Current Opinion in Rheumatology. 28(6), pp.661-666.

  AP. Lightfoot, RG. Cooper (2016). Editorial: Endurance Exercise: An Important Therapeutic Adjuvant in the Overall Treatment of Myositis?. Arthritis and Rheumatology. 68(7), pp.1578-1581.

  AP. Lightfoot, GK. Sakellariou, GA. Nye, F. McArdle, MJ. Jackson, et al. RD. Griffiths, A. McArdle. (2015). SS-31 attenuates TNF-α induced cytokine release from C2C12 myotubes. Redox Biology. 6, pp.253-259.

  AP. Lightfoot, RG. Cooper (2015). Response to: 'In the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, reactive oxygen species are at the crossroad between immune and non-immune cell mediated mechanisms' by Meyer et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 74(11), pp.e63-e63.

  AP. Lightfoot, K. Nagaraju, A. McArdle, RG. Cooper (2015). Understanding the origin of non-immune cell-mediated weakness in the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies - potential role of ER stress pathways. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 27(6), pp.580-585.

  AP. Lightfoot, A. McArdle, MJ. Jackson, RG. Cooper (2015). In the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), do reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to muscle weakness?. Ann Rheum Dis. 74(7), pp.1340-1346.

  AP. Lightfoot, R. McCormick, GA. Nye, A. McArdle (2014). Mechanisms of skeletal muscle ageing; avenues for therapeutic intervention. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 16(1), pp.116-121.

  A. Lightfoot, A. McArdle, RD. Griffiths (2009). Muscle in defense. Crit Care Med. 37(10 Suppl), pp.S384-S390.

  AP. Lightfoot (2009). Skeletal Muscle ageing; implications for the immune response. eLIFESPAN.

  M. Sjostrand, C. Lasser, H. Valadi, A. Lightfoot, A. Malmer, et al. A. Bossios, J. Lotvall. (2008). Detection and characterisation of exosomes of monocyte and human proinflammatory macrophage type I origin. ALLERGY. 63, pp.94-95.

  AP. Lightfoot, AM. Hasan, G. Dent (2006). Opsonized zymosan stimulates CXC chemokine secretion from bronchial epithelial cells. European Respiratory Journal.

• Conferences

  C. Astley, C. Houacine, FL. Wilkinson, A. Lightfoot, K. Singh, et al. D. Whitehead, Y. Alexander, M. Azzawi. (2019). Resveratrol-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Restore Dilator Function Following Acute Pressure Elevation, Ex Vivo. In: JOURNAL OF VASCULAR RESEARCH. Maastricht, NETHERLANDS, 15/4/2019. pp.7-7.

  F. Alsehli, A. Lightfoot, N. Ahmed, L. Shalamanova (2018). FIBROSIS-RELATED MICRORNA ARE DYSREGULATED BY HYPERGLYCAEMIA IN HUMAN PROXIMAL TUBULAR EPITHELIAL CELLS. In: NEPHROLOGY DIALYSIS TRANSPLANTATION. Copenhagen, DENMARK, 24/5/2018.

  M. Lyon, N. Al-Shanti, AP. Lightfoot, RG. Cooper (2018). O42 The antioxidant EUK-134 mitigates ER stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in human skeletal muscle cells. In: Rheumatology. Liverpool, ENGLAND, 1/5/2018.

  AP. Lightfoot, RS. Morgan, RG. Cooper (2016). FRI0241 HMGB1 Induces Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-Dependent Activation of The ER Stress Pathway in C2C12 Myotubes. In: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. London, ENGLAND, 8/6/2016. pp.521.1-521.

  CA. Staunton, N. Pollock, A. Lightfoot, A. Vasilaki, R. Barrett-Jolley, et al. A. McArdle, M. Jackson. (2016). The role of denervation in cytokine-mediated muscle dysfunction in muscles of old mice. In: FASEB JOURNAL. San Diego, CA, 2/4/2016.

  AP. Lightfoot, K. Goljanek-Whysall, A. McArdle, RG. Cooper (2015). Investigating the Pathogenic Role of ER Stress Pathways in the Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIM): Interrogating the Role of Micro-RNA 133a As an Important Regulator of ER Stress Activation. In: ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY.

  AP. Lightfoot, K. Goljanek-Whysall, KE. Earl, CV. Cotton, A. McArdle, et al. RG. Cooper. (2015). Investigating the Pathogenic Role of ER Stress Pathway Activation in the Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIM): Skeletal Muscle Cells As a Source of Cytokines (Myokines). In: ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY.

  AP. Lightfoot, MJ. Jackson, A. McArdle, RG. Cooper (2015). HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 70 PROTECTS AGAINST ER STRESS-INDUCED MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION; A POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC TARGET TO REDUCE MUSCLE WEAKNESS IN IIM?. In: RHEUMATOLOGY. Manchester, ENGLAND, 28/4/2015. pp.31-32.

  AP. Lightfoot, K. Goljanek-Whysall, CV. Cotton, KE. Earl, A. McArdle, et al. RG. Cooper. (2015). IS MUSCLE A CHEMOTACTIC ORGAN IN THE IDIOPATHIC INFLAMMATORY MYOPATHIES (IIM)? OVEREXPRESSION OF MHC I (H-2KB) IN C2C12 MYOTUBES RESULTS IN RELEASE OF PRO-NFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES. In: RHEUMATOLOGY. Manchester, ENGLAND, 28/4/2015. pp.43-43.

  KE. Earl, AP. Lightfoot, A. McArdle (2015). The impact of resveratrol treatment on TNF-α-induced cytokine release by C2C12 myotubes. In: FASEB Journal.

  K. Earl, A. Lightfoot, A. McArdle (2015). The Impact of a Polyphenol Treatment on TNF-alpha-Induced Cytokine Release from C2C12 Myotubes. In: FASEB JOURNAL. Boston, MA, 28/3/2015.

  AP. Lightfoot, MJ. Jackson, A. McArdle, RG. Cooper (2014). Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Stress-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Atrophy Can be Prevented By Pharmacological Upregulation of Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP) in Cultured Murine Myotubes. In: ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY. pp.S966-S966.

  N. Pollock, A. Vasilaki, AP. Lightfoot, MJ. Jackson, A. McArdle (2014). NFκB activation in hindlimb muscles from adult and old mice at rest and following contractile activity. In: FASEB Journal.

  A. Lightfoot, G. Sakellariou, G. Nye, F. McArdle, M. Jackson, et al. R. Griffiths, A. McArdle. (2014). Mitochondrial superoxide mediates TNF-alpha-induced myokine release from C2C12 myotubes. In: FASEB JOURNAL.

  G. Sakellariou, A. Lightfoot, T. Pearson, N. Wells, A. Gilmore, et al. R. Griffiths, A. McArdle, M. Jackson. (2014). Mitochondrial ROS generation and function in skeletal muscle from older subjects. In: FASEB JOURNAL.

  G. Nye, A. Lightfoot, G. Sakellariou, M. Boudiffa, I. Bellantuono, et al. S. Brooks, A. Richardson, M. Jackson, H. Van Remmen, N. Jeffery, A. McArdle. (2014). Musculoskeletal changes in superoxide dismutase 1 null mice. In: FASEB JOURNAL.

  GK. Sakellariou, AP. Lightfoot, A. Vasilaki, G. Nye, H. Van Remmen, et al. S. Brooks, A. McArdle, MJ. Jackson. (2013). Accelerated age-related loss of muscle mass in homozygotic SOD1 knockout mice is not associated with neuronal oxidative damage. In: Free Radical Biology and Medicine. pp.S48-S48.

  AP. Lightfoot, D. Harrison, A. Kayani, F. McArdle, RD. Griffiths, et al. A. McArdle. (2010). Skeletal Muscle as an Endocrine organ; the effect of TNF-alpha. In: FASEB JOURNAL.

  AP. Lightfoot, AC. Kayani, F. McArdle, RD. Griffiths, A. McArdle The effect of TNF-α on Skeletal Muscle Myokine Production. In: Journal of Physiology. Dublin,

  AP. Lightfoot, AC. Kayani, F. McArdle, RD. Griffiths, A. McArdle Skeletal Muscle as an Endocrine Organ; the role of TNF-α. In: The FASEB Journal.

Invited papers

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (2017)

Expert reviewer for journals and publishers

Biology of Sex Differences (Peer reviewer 2018-)

Biochemical Journal (Peer reviewer 2017-)

Rejuvination Research (Peer reviewer 2017-)

Bioscience Reports (Peer reviewer 2017-)

Clinical Science (Peer reviewer 2016 -)

International Journal of Neuroscience (Peer reviewer 2016 - )

The Journal of Physiology (Peer reviewer 2015 - )

Preventative Medicine (Peer reviewer 2014 - )

Physiological Reports (Peer reviewer 2013 - )

American Journal of Physiology (Peer reviewer 2010 - )

Critical Care Medicine (Peer reviewer 2009 - )

Grants

The Royal Society - Research Grant

The Physiological Society - Research Grant

Prizes and awards

European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Travel Award (2015)

Expert reviewer for external funding bodies

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)

• Grants reviewer 2013 -  
• David Phillips Fellowship reviewer 2017 

Medical Research Council

• Grants reviewer 2019 -
• Clinical Fellowship 2020 -

Visiting and honorary positions

Honorary Research Fellow - University of Liverpool

Editorial board membership

Oxidative Medicine & Cellular Longevity

Membership of professional associations

The Physiological Society 

Biochemical Society