Dr Eyad Elkord

Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences & Immunology

• Peel Building Room G25
• T: +44 (0)161 295 2170
• E: e.elkord@salford.ac.uk
• SEEK: Research profile

I am currently working part time but can be contacted by e-mail

I currently hold positions as a Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences & Immunology with the University of Salford, UK; an Assistant Professor of Immunology with the College of Medicine & Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University and an Honorary Senior Lecturer with the University of Manchester, UK. I received my BSc in 1995 from Al-Quds University (Jerusalem), MPhil in 2001 from Bergen University (Norway) and PhD in Immunology in 2005 from Cardiff University (UK). Following this I  was a Postdoctoral Scientist (Jan 2005- Dec 2007) in the Immunology laboratory at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, University of Manchester (UK). I was then appointed as a Research Fellow/Group Leader of the Clinical Immunotherapy Laboratory at the University of Manchester (Jan 2008- Nov 2010). I took up my post at Salford in 2010 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2012. I am an editorial board member for several peer-reviewed journals such as the World Journal of Gastroenterology and Clinical & Developmental Immunology. Due to my work in the area of T regulatory cells I am currently acting as a Guest Associate Editor for a research topic in this area for Frontiers in Immunology.

I am currently working part time for the University of Salford.

My research is focused on Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy. More specifically I am interested in investigating the mechanisms employed by tumours to evade immune-mediated destruction with special interest in the role and function of immunosuppressive cells [T regulatory cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs)] in cancer. We are interested in studying the interaction and mechanisms utilised by tumours to induce and/or expand immunosuppressive cells. We showed that Tregs are expanded in peripheral blood and tumour microenvironment of cancer patients, which correlated with poor prognosis and reduced survival. Our recent work has further established that Treg infiltration of tumours is correlated with a lack of some patients’ responsiveness to therapy. Additionally, we found that adoptive transfer of Treg-depleted autologous T cells in renal cell carcinoma patients following conditioning chemotherapy provided a transient reduction of circulating Treg levels which was associated with improved antitumor immune response to the tumour-associated antigen 5T4.

Aditionally, we found that the majority of peripheral and tumour-infiltrating FoxP3+ Tregs expresses Helios, an Ikaros family transcription factors, and FoxP3+Helios+ Tregs possess more suppressive phenotype and characteristic, as compared to FoxP3+Helios- Tregs.

We are also interested in studying the cellular immunity to human tumour-associated antigens (e.g. 5T4 and PSA) and discovering MHC class I and II epitopes derived from these antigens, in addition to Identification and isolation of tumour-specific T effector cells and potential strategies for improving antitumour-specific immune responses. Moreover, we Investigate the mechanism of action of certain anti-cancer therapies, e.g. anti-CTLA4 and sutent.

• Postgraduate certificate in academic practice (PGCAP), University of Salford, 2012.
• PhD, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff University, 2005.
• Diploma in Biomedical Methods, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff University, 2002.
• MPhil in Clinical Biochemistry, University of Bergen, 2001.
• BSc in Medical Technology, Al-Quds University, 1995

• Immunology Interest Group, National Institutes of Health.
• British Society for Immunology.
• European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology.
• European Macrophage and Dendritic Cell Society

• Eyad Elkord, Smita Sharma, Debbie Burt, Robert E Hawkins. Expanded subpopulation of FoxP3+ T regulatory cells in renal cell carcinoma co-express Helios, indicating they could be derived from natural but not induced Tregs, Clinical Immunology, 2011 Sep;140(3):218-22 (rapid communication).
• Sameena Khan, Debbie Burt, Christy Ralph, Fiona C Thistlethwaite, Robert E Hawkins, Eyad Elkord. Tremelimumab (anti-CTLA4) mediates immune responses mainly by direct activation of T effector cells rather than by affecting T regulatory cells, Clinical Immunology, 2011 Jan;138(1):85-96 (one of the top 25 hottest articles from January to March 2011 for Clinical Immunology).
• Sai Daayana, Eyad Elkord, Ursula Winter, Peter L Stern, Henry C Kitchener. Clinical and immunological results of a phase II trial of imiquimod and HPV therapeutic vaccination in patients with high grade vulval intraepithelial neoplasia. British Journal of Cancer, 2010 Mar 30;102(7):1129-36. (One of the featured articles for British Journal of Cancer in March 2010. Also it was in the news of Nature Medicine 16(5), May 2010, Page 499).
• Christy Ralph, Eyad Elkord, Debbie Burt, Peter L Stern, Robert E Hawkins Fiona Thistlethwaite. Modulation of lymphocyte regulation for cancer therapy: a phase II trial of tremelimumab in advanced gastric and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Clinical Cancer Research, 2010 March 1;16(5):1662-72.  
• Eyad Elkord, Adam Dangoor, Deborah J Burt, Thomas D Southgate, Sai Daayana, Richard Harrop, Jan W Drijfhout, Danielle Andrews, Stuart Naylor, David Sherlock, Robert  E Hawkins, Peter L Stern. Immune evasion mechanisms in colorectal cancer liver metastases patients vaccinated with TroVax. Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy, 2009 Oct;58(10):1657-67.
• Richard W Griffiths, Eyad Elkord⁺, David E Gilham, Vijay Ramani, Noel Clarke, Peter L Stern, Robert E Hawkins. Frequency of T Regulatory Cells in Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients and investigation of Correlation with Survival. Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy, 2007 Nov; 56(11):1743-53 (⁺First joint author).