Amy Kwan
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Research Subjects
Research Interests
Amy Kwan has a total of 5 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Munitta Muthana
School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Barber House, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
2 shared publications - Natalie Winder
Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, SHEFFIELD S10 2RX, UK
2 shared publications - Amina Mughal
Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
1 shared publication - Cristal Collado-Rojas
Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
1 shared publication - Faith Howard
School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Barber House, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
Understanding Immune Responses to Viruses—Do Underlying Th1/Th2 Cell Biases Predict Outcome?
Emerging and re-emerging viral diseases have increased in number and geographical extent during the last decades. Examples include the current COVID-19 pandemic and the recent epidemics of the Chikungunya, Ebola, and Zika viruses. Immune responses to viruses have been well-characterised within the innate and adaptive immunity pathways with the outcome following viral infection predominantly attributed to properties of the virus and circumstances of the infection. Perhaps the belief that the immune system is often considered as a reactive component of host defence, springing into action when a threat is detected, has contributed to a poorer understanding of the inherent differences in an individual’s immune system in the absence of any pathology. In this review, we focus on how these host factors (age, ethnicity, underlying pathologies) may skew the T helper cell response, thereby influencing the outcome following viral infection but also whether we can use these inherent biases to predict patients at risk of a deviant response and apply strategies to avoid or overcome them.
Open AccessUnderstanding Immune Responses to Viruses—Do Underlying Th1/Th2 Cell Biases Predict Outcome?
Emerging and re-emerging viral diseases have increased in number and geographical extent during the last decades. Examples include the current COVID-19 pandemic and the recent epidemics of the Chikungunya, Ebola, and Zika viruses. Immune responses to viruses have been well-characterised within the innate and adaptive immunity pathways with the outcome following viral infection predominantly attributed to properties of the virus and circumstances of the infection. Perhaps the belief that the immune system is often considered as a reactive component of host defence, springing into action when a threat is detected, has contributed to a poorer understanding of the inherent differences in an individual’s immune system in the absence of any pathology. In this review, we focus on how these host factors (age, ethnicity, underlying pathologies) may skew the T helper cell response, thereby influencing the outcome following viral infection but also whether we can use these inherent biases to predict patients at risk of a deviant response and apply strategies to avoid or overcome them.
- Open Access
Oncolytic Virotherapy Treatment of Breast Cancer: Barriers and Recent Advances
Oncolytic virotherapy (OV) is an emerging class of immunotherapeutic drugs. Their mechanism of action is two-fold: direct cell lysis and unmasking of the cancer through immunogenic cell death, which allows the immune system to recognize and eradicate tumours. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and is challenging to treat with immunotherapy modalities because it is classically an immunogenically “cold” tumour type. This provides an attractive niche for OV, given viruses have been shown to turn “cold” tumours “hot,” thereby opening a plethora of treatment opportunities. There has been a number of pre-clinical attempts to explore the use of OV in breast cancer; however, these have not led to any meaningful clinical trials. This review considers both the potential and the barriers to OV in breast cancer, namely, the limitations of monotherapy and the scope for combination therapy, improving viral delivery and challenges specific to the breast cancer population (e.g., tumour subtype, menopausal status, age).
Open AccessOncolytic Virotherapy Treatment of Breast Cancer: Barriers and Recent Advances
Oncolytic virotherapy (OV) is an emerging class of immunotherapeutic drugs. Their mechanism of action is two-fold: direct cell lysis and unmasking of the cancer through immunogenic cell death, which allows the immune system to recognize and eradicate tumours. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and is challenging to treat with immunotherapy modalities because it is classically an immunogenically “cold” tumour type. This provides an attractive niche for OV, given viruses have been shown to turn “cold” tumours “hot,” thereby opening a plethora of treatment opportunities. There has been a number of pre-clinical attempts to explore the use of OV in breast cancer; however, these have not led to any meaningful clinical trials. This review considers both the potential and the barriers to OV in breast cancer, namely, the limitations of monotherapy and the scope for combination therapy, improving viral delivery and challenges specific to the breast cancer population (e.g., tumour subtype, menopausal status, age).