Summary
Dr Shamji completed his clinical scientist fellowship training in clinical immunology at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London, United Kingdom (UK) in 2004. He then pursued his interest in translational research and completed his PhD studies in allergy and clinical immunology at the National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK in 2010. He established his research group (Immunomodulation and Tolerance group) within Allergy and Clinical Immunology at Imperial College London.
Dr Shamji has a specific interest in respiratory allergies, especially how disease-modifying treatments such as allergen immunotherapy, novel biologics and novel immunomodulators (Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) 7 and Surfactant protein (SP)-D) affect immunologic (T, B cell and immunoglobulins) responses leading to induction of immune tolerance, as well as the investigation of novel surrogate/predictive biomarkers of clinical outcome following successful immunotherapy.
He is actively involved in evaluating novel approaches of allergen immunotherapy using modified hypoallergic form of allergen protein, subcutaneous immunotherapy in combination with novel adjuvants, sublingual immunotherapy, peptide immunotherapy, biologics plus allergen of interest strategies to improve safety, efficacy and induce immune tolerance to sensitising allergen.
This involves:
1) Designing human pre-clinical laboratory mechanistic studies to test allergenicity and immunogenicity of novel modified/hypoallergenic allergen and T/B cell peptides
2) Investigating immunologic mechanisms of immunotherapy in the context of clinical trials (in collaboration with Professor Stephen Durham, within Allergy and Clinical Immunology (ACI) or contract research organisation (CRO), pharmaceutical or biotech companies).
In collaboration with Professor Adnan Custovic and Dr Paul Turner, Dr Shamji is investigating mechanisms of desensitisation and tolerance induction following oral peanut/milk immunotherapy by translating his work from respiratory disease human models.
Dr Shamji’s research has resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals in the field of Allergy. His publications in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology have been selected as editor’s choice. He has written two book chapters on mechanisms and biomarkers of AIT (Allergens and Allergen Immunotherapy: Subcutaneous, Sublingual, and Oral, Fifth Edition, CRC press).
He is one of the Module 3 leads for the 4thyear Respiratory science course and an active member of Staff-Student Liaison Group (SSLG). He lectures on a postgraduate course (MSc Molecular Medicine and MSc Immunology course). He also teaches basic science to specialist registrars (SpRs) trainees in Allergy through lectures and workshops. He mentors, supervises and motivates PhD, M.Sc., B.Sc. and UROP students within the Allergy & Clinical immunology section. He also informs mentees of relevant resources available within the college. He has been nominated by the Postgraduate office (NHLI) and supervisors to examine for the Early and Late Stage review for PhD students at Imperial College London (4 students). He has served as an international PhD examiner during a public defence in Aarhus, Denmark (June 2015), Ghent, Belgium (Feb 2018) and Rotterdam Netherlands (June 2018).
Dr Shamji chairs an EAACI-funded task force on biomarkers for monitoring allergen immunotherapy consisting of 17 international expert members who are leaders in the field of immunotherapy. The aim of the task force is to achieve a consensus on potential surrogate biomarkers that can be used in clinical trials to monitor the efficacy of AIT in individual patients. In recognition of his expertise in the field of allergen immunotherapy mechanisms/biomarkers, he has been invited to speak at plenary, keynote, symposia and expert discussion sessions and workshops at the European Academy Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), American Academy Asthma Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) and the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology as well as industry-sponsored meetings.
He is a member of the EAACI Executive Committee leadership and Vice President of Congresses. He is past-chair of the Research and Outreach Committee for the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI). He has been an AAAAI international Fellow since 2014 and a committee member for the Immunotherapy, Allergen Standardization and Allergy Diagnostic interest section (IASAD) (2011-) and Immunotherapy, Rhinitis, Sinusitis, Ocular allergy and Cough (IRSOC) (2015-). He represents basic science on the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI) annual meeting programme planning committee. He was invited to become a senior affiliate member of Royal College of Physicians.
His research has led to several preclinical studies moving onto phase II and now phase III trial of allergen immunotherapy in collaboration with Biotech Tools SA. He is a principal investigator and co-investigator on MRC, immune tolerance network (ITN) and several industry-funded projects.
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Golebski K, Layhadi JA, Sahiner U, et al., 2021, Induction of IL-10-producing type 2 innate lymphoid cells by allergen immunotherapy is associated with clinical response., Immunity, Vol:54, ISSN:1074-7613, Pages:291-307.e7
Shamji MH, Layhadi JA, Achkova D, et al., 2019, Role of interleukin-35 in sublingual allergy immunotherapy, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol:143, ISSN:0091-6749, Pages:1131-1142.e4
Campo P, Eguiluz-Gracia I, Bogas G, et al., 2019, Local allergic rhinitis: Implications for management, Clinical and Experimental Allergy, Vol:49, ISSN:0954-7894, Pages:6-16
Shamji MH, Ceuppens J, Bachert C, et al., 2018, Lolium perenne peptides for treatment of grass pollen allergy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol:141, ISSN:0091-6749, Pages:448-+
Mösges R, Bachert C, Panzner P, et al., 2018, Short-course of grass allergen peptides immunotherapy over three weeks reduces seasonal symptoms in allergic rhinoconjunctivitis with/without Asthma: A randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, Allergy, Vol:73, ISSN:0105-4538, Pages:1842-1850
Shamji MH, Temblay JN, Cheng W, et al., 2018, Antiapoptotic serine protease inhibitors contribute to survival of allergenic TH2 cells, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol:142, ISSN:0091-6749, Pages:569-581.e5
Mösges R, Koch AF, Raskopf E, et al., 2018, Lolium perenne peptide immunotherapy is well tolerated and elicits a protective B-cell response in seasonal allergic rhinitis patients, Allergy, Vol:73, ISSN:0105-4538, Pages:1254-1262
Renand A, Shamji MH, Harris KM, et al., 2018, Synchronous immune alterations mirror clinical response during allergen immunotherapy, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol:141, ISSN:0091-6749, Pages:1750-1760.e1
Pfaar O, Bonini S, Cardona V, et al., 2018, Perspectives in allergen immunotherapy: 2017 and beyond, Allergy, Vol:73, ISSN:0105-4538, Pages:5-23
Mösges R, Kasche EM, Raskopf E, et al., 2017, A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding trial with Lolium perenne peptide immunotherapy, Allergy, Vol:73, ISSN:0105-4538, Pages:896-904
Shamji, M, Durham SR, 2017, Mechanisms of allergen immunotherapy for inhaled allergens and predictive biomarkers, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol:140, ISSN:0091-6749, Pages:1485-1498
Slovick A, Douiri A, Muir R, et al., 2016, Intradermal grass pollen immunotherapy increases T(H)2 and IgE responses and worsens respiratory allergic symptoms, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol:139, ISSN:0091-6749, Pages:1830-1839.e13
Kappen JH, Durham SR, Veen HI, et al., 2016, Applications and mechanisms of immunotherapy in allergic rhinitis and asthma., Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease, Vol:11, ISSN:1753-4658, Pages:73-86
Varricchi G, Harker J, Borriello F, et al., 2016, T follicular helper (Tfh ) cells in normal immune responses and in allergic disorders., Allergy, Vol:71, ISSN:0105-4538, Pages:1086-1094
Chaker AM, Shamji MH, Dumitru FA, et al., 2016, Short-term subcutaneous grass pollen immunotherapy under the umbrella of anti-IL-4: A randomized controlled trial, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol:137, ISSN:0091-6749, Pages:452-+
Steveling EH, Lao-Araya M, Koulias C, et al., 2015, Protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of grass allergen immunotherapy tablet for seasonal allergic rhinitis: time course of nasal, cutaneous and immunological outcomes, Clinical and Translational Allergy, Vol:5, ISSN:2045-7022
Pondman KM, Pednekar L, Paudyal B, et al., 2015, Innate immune humoral factors, C1q and factor H, with differential pattern recognition properties, alter macrophage response to carbon nanotubes, Nanomedicine-Nanotechnology Biology and Medicine, Vol:11, ISSN:1549-9634, Pages:2109-2118
Gadermaier E, James LK, Shamji MH, et al., 2015, Epitope specificity determines cross-protection of a SIT-induced IgG4 antibody, Allergy, Vol:71, ISSN:0105-4538, Pages:36-46
Scadding GW, Eifan AO, Lao-Araya M, et al., 2015, Effect of grass pollen immunotherapy on clinical and local immune response to nasal allergen challenge (vol 70, pg 689, 2015), Allergy, Vol:70, ISSN:0105-4538, Pages:1033-1033
Scadding GW, Eifan AO, Lao-Araya M, et al., 2015, Effect of grass pollen immunotherapy on clinical and local immune response to nasal allergen challenge, Allergy, Vol:70, ISSN:0105-4538, Pages:689-696
Dodev TS, Bowen H, Shamji MH, et al., 2015, Inhibition of allergen-dependent IgE activity by antibodies of the same specificity but different class, Allergy, Vol:70, ISSN:0105-4538, Pages:720-724
Santos AF, James LK, Bahnson HT, et al., 2015, IgG<sub>4</sub> inhibits peanut-induced basophil and mast cell activation in peanut-tolerant children sensitized to peanut major allergens, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol:135, ISSN:0091-6749, Pages:1249-1256
Shamji MH, Layhadi JA, Scadding GW, et al., 2015, Basophil expression of diamine oxidase: A novel biomarker of allergen immunotherapy response, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol:135, ISSN:0091-6749, Pages:913-921.e9
Shamji MH, Durham SR, 2015, Measuring histamine content and release at single-cell level during venom allergy immunotherapy Reply, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol:135, ISSN:0091-6749, Pages:1089-1090
Shamji MH, Bellido V, Scadding GW, et al., 2015, Effector cell signature in peripheral blood following nasal allergen challenge in grass pollen allergic individuals, Allergy, Vol:70, ISSN:0105-4538, Pages:171-179
Conference
Sharif HHHA, Ito C, Scadding GW, et al., 2015, Induction of circulating T follicular regulatory (Tfr) cells following grass pollen immunotherapy in patients with severe seasonal allergic rhinitis, Annual Meeting of the British-Society-for-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology, WILEY-BLACKWELL, Pages:1897-1897, ISSN:0954-7894
Scadding G, Eifan A, Penagos M, et al., 2015, Local and systemic effects of cat allergen nasal provocation, Annual Meeting of the British-Society-for-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology, WILEY-BLACKWELL, Pages:501-501, ISSN:0954-7894
Lao-Araya M, Abubakar-Waziri H, Steveling E, et al., 2015, Grass pollen immunotherapy suppresses seasonal increases in type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), Annual Meeting of the British-Society-for-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology, WILEY-BLACKWELL, Pages:538-539, ISSN:0954-7894
Abubakar-Waziri H, Parkin RV, Switzer AR, et al., 2015, Local nasal protective IgG4 antibodies: novel biomarker for monitoring allergen immunotherapy, Annual Meeting of the British-Society-for-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology, WILEY-BLACKWELL, Pages:539-540, ISSN:0954-7894
Scadding G, Eifan A, Lao-Araya M, et al., 2015, Effect of grass pollen allergen immunotherapy on clinical and local immune response to nasal allergen challenge, Annual Meeting of the British-Society-for-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology, WILEY-BLACKWELL, Pages:535-535, ISSN:0954-7894
Steveling EH, Layhadi J, Scadding G, et al., 2015, Diamine oxidase: a novel biomarker for monitoring ex-vivo allergen-induced basophil reactivity following grass pollen immunotherapy, Annual Meeting of the British-Society-for-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology, WILEY-BLACKWELL, Pages:539-539, ISSN:0954-7894