![Meike Heurich-Sevcenco](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/2919?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Meike Heurich-Sevcenco
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Teams and roles for Meike Heurich-Sevcenco
Senior Lecturer
Overview
I am a Senior Lecturer at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences after joining the School in 2017 (2008-2016, School of Medicine, Cardiff University) where I lead a research group that focuses on the discovery and functional characterization of the molecular crosstalk of blood proteins of the immune complement and coagulation systems. We specialise in biophysical (Biacore) methods and complement and coagulation activity assays.
I also investigate the pathophysiology of the complemetn and coagulation systems in disease, with a particular clinical focus on the role of complement and coagulation changes in the blood in psychosis and schizophrenia patients.
We are working on identifying novel blood biomarkers that may predict the development of psychosis, or treatment response in schizophrenia, and identifying potential therapeutic targets through the analysis of complement and coagulation components and their activation products in blood plasma in disease. We routinely use ELISA to quantify proteins in blood plasma.
We have developed molecular tools that can modulate the function of selected complement and coagulation proteins for target validation and early drug discovery.
Keywords: blood; innate immune system, complement; coagulation; psychosis
Publication
2024
- Heurich, M., Föcking, M. and Cotter, D. 2024. Complement C4, C4A and C4a – what they do and how they differ. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health 39, article number: 100809. (10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100809)
- Byrne, J. F. et al. 2024. Plasma complement and coagulation proteins as prognostic factors of negative symptoms: An analysis of the NAPLS 2 and 3 studies. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 119, pp. 188-196. (10.1016/j.bbi.2024.03.049)
- Kodosaki, E. et al. 2024. Sample processing time but not storage time affects complement activation markers C4a, C4d, C3a, C3d, Bb, C5a, and sC5b-9 levels in EDTA-plasma of individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis. Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry 10, article number: 100097. (10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100097)
- Byrne, J. F. et al. 2024. Proteomic biomarkers for the prediction of transition to psychosis in individuals at clinical high risk: A multi-cohort model development study. Schizophrenia Bulletin 50(3), pp. 579-588. (10.1093/schbul/sbad184)
- Healy, C. et al. 2024. Differential expression of haptoglobin in individuals at clinical high risk of psychosis and its association with global functioning and clinical symptoms. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 117, pp. 175-180. (10.1016/j.bbi.2023.12.018)
2023
- Heurich, M. and McCluskey, G. 2023. Complement and coagulation crosstalk - Factor H in the spotlight. Immunobiology 228(6), article number: 152707. (10.1016/j.imbio.2023.152707)
- Cropley, V., Kittel, M., Heurich-Sevcenco, M., Föcking, M., Leweke, F. and Pantelis, C. 2023. Complement proteins are elevated in blood serum but not CSF in clinical high-risk and antipsychotic-naïve first-episode psychosis. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 113, pp. 136-144. (10.1016/j.bbi.2023.07.004)
- Susai, S. R. et al. 2023. Association of complement and coagulation pathway proteins with treatment response in first-episode psychosis: a longitudinal analysis of the OPTiMiSE clinical trial. Schizophrenia Bulletin: The Journal of Psychoses and Related Disorders 49(4), pp. 893-902. (10.1093/schbul/sbac201)
2022
- Susai, S. R. et al. 2022. Evidence that complement and coagulation proteins are mediating the clinical response to omega-3 fatty acids: A mass spectrometry-based investigation in subjects at clinical high-risk for psychosis. Translational Psychiatry 12, article number: 454. (10.1038/s41398-022-02217-0)
- Heurich, M., Föcking, M., Mongan, D., Cagney, G. and Cotter, D. R. 2022. Dysregulation of complement and coagulation pathways: emerging mechanisms in the development of psychosis. Molecular Psychiatry 27, pp. 127-140. (10.1038/s41380-021-01197-9)
2021
- Baker, A. T. et al. 2021. ChAdOx1 interacts with CAR and PF4 with implications for thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome. Science Advances 7(49), article number: eabl8213. (10.1126/sciadv.abl8213)
- Pathare, N., Szakmany, T., Hall, J. E. and Heurich, M. 2021. Plasma IgM levels differentiate between survivors and non-survivors of culture-positive and culture-negative sepsis and SIRS: a pilot study. Journal of Clinical Medicine 10(22), article number: 5391. (10.3390/jcm10225391)
- Howes, O., Cummings, C. and Heurich, M. 2021. Translation from genes to mechanism in schizophrenia: are immune-synaptic interactions the missing link?. Biological Psychiatry 90(9), pp. 593-595. (10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.08.014)
- Flude, B. M. et al. 2021. Targeting the complement serine protease MASP-2 as a therapeutic strategy for coronavirus infections. Viruses 13(2), article number: 312. (10.3390/v13020312)
- Mongan, D. et al. 2021. Development of proteomic prediction models for transition to psychotic disorder in the clinical high-risk state and psychotic experiences in adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry 78(1), pp. 77-90. (10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2459)
2019
- Madrid-Gambin, F. et al. 2019. Integrated lipidomics and proteomics point to early blood-based changes in childhood preceding later development of psychotic experiences: evidence from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Biological Psychiatry 86(1), pp. 25-34. (10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.01.018)
- Föcking, M. et al. 2019. Complement pathway changes at age 12 are associated with psychotic experiences at age 18 in a longitudinal population-based study: evidence for a role of stress. Molecular Psychiatry 26, pp. 524-533. (10.1038/s41380-018-0306-z)
2016
- Heurich-Sevcenco, M., Preston, R., O'Donnell, V. B., Morgan, B. P. and Collins, P. W. 2016. Thrombomodulin enhances complement regulation through strong affinity interactions with factor H and C3b-Factor H complex. Thrombosis Research 145, pp. 84-92. (10.1016/j.thromres.2016.07.017)
2015
- Martínez-Barricarte, R. et al. 2015. The molecular and structural bases for the association of complement C3 mutations with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. Molecular Immunology 66(2), pp. 263-273. (10.1016/j.molimm.2015.03.248)
- Szakmany, T. and Heurich-Sevcenco, M. 2015. Immunomodulation in sepsis - why blunting the response doesn't work?. Journal of Infection 71(2), pp. 147-149. (10.1016/j.jinf.2015.04.019)
2014
- Ruseva, M. and Heurich-Sevcenco, M. 2014. Purification and characterization of human and mouse complement C3. In: Gadjeva, M. ed. The Complement System: Methods and Protocols., Vol. 1100. Methods in Molecular Biology Humana Press, pp. 75-91., (10.1007/978-1-62703-724-2_6)
2013
- Heurich, M., Altintas, Z. and Tothill, I. 2013. Computational Design of Peptide Ligands for Ochratoxin A. Toxins 5(6), pp. 1202-1218. (10.3390/toxins5061202)
2012
- Harris, C. L., Heurich, M., Rodriguez de Cordoba, S. and Morgan, B. P. 2012. The complotype: dictating risk for inflammation and infection. Trends in Immunology 33(10), pp. 513-521. (10.1016/j.it.2012.06.001)
2011
- Heurich, M., Martinez-Barricarte, R., Francis, N., Roberts, D. L., Rodriguez de Cordoba, S., Morgan, B. P. and Harris, C. L. 2011. Common polymorphisms in C3, factor B, and factor H collaborate to determine systemic complement activity and disease risk. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108(21), pp. 8761-8766. (10.1073/pnas.1019338108)
2010
- Martínez-Barricarte, R. et al. 2010. Human C3 mutation reveals a mechanism of dense deposit disease pathogenesis and provides insights into complement activation and regulation. Journal of Clinical Investigation 120(10), pp. 3702-3712. (10.1172/JCI43343)
Adrannau llyfrau
- Ruseva, M. and Heurich-Sevcenco, M. 2014. Purification and characterization of human and mouse complement C3. In: Gadjeva, M. ed. The Complement System: Methods and Protocols., Vol. 1100. Methods in Molecular Biology Humana Press, pp. 75-91., (10.1007/978-1-62703-724-2_6)
Erthyglau
- Heurich, M., Föcking, M. and Cotter, D. 2024. Complement C4, C4A and C4a – what they do and how they differ. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health 39, article number: 100809. (10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100809)
- Byrne, J. F. et al. 2024. Plasma complement and coagulation proteins as prognostic factors of negative symptoms: An analysis of the NAPLS 2 and 3 studies. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 119, pp. 188-196. (10.1016/j.bbi.2024.03.049)
- Kodosaki, E. et al. 2024. Sample processing time but not storage time affects complement activation markers C4a, C4d, C3a, C3d, Bb, C5a, and sC5b-9 levels in EDTA-plasma of individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis. Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry 10, article number: 100097. (10.1016/j.bionps.2024.100097)
- Byrne, J. F. et al. 2024. Proteomic biomarkers for the prediction of transition to psychosis in individuals at clinical high risk: A multi-cohort model development study. Schizophrenia Bulletin 50(3), pp. 579-588. (10.1093/schbul/sbad184)
- Healy, C. et al. 2024. Differential expression of haptoglobin in individuals at clinical high risk of psychosis and its association with global functioning and clinical symptoms. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 117, pp. 175-180. (10.1016/j.bbi.2023.12.018)
- Heurich, M. and McCluskey, G. 2023. Complement and coagulation crosstalk - Factor H in the spotlight. Immunobiology 228(6), article number: 152707. (10.1016/j.imbio.2023.152707)
- Cropley, V., Kittel, M., Heurich-Sevcenco, M., Föcking, M., Leweke, F. and Pantelis, C. 2023. Complement proteins are elevated in blood serum but not CSF in clinical high-risk and antipsychotic-naïve first-episode psychosis. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 113, pp. 136-144. (10.1016/j.bbi.2023.07.004)
- Susai, S. R. et al. 2023. Association of complement and coagulation pathway proteins with treatment response in first-episode psychosis: a longitudinal analysis of the OPTiMiSE clinical trial. Schizophrenia Bulletin: The Journal of Psychoses and Related Disorders 49(4), pp. 893-902. (10.1093/schbul/sbac201)
- Susai, S. R. et al. 2022. Evidence that complement and coagulation proteins are mediating the clinical response to omega-3 fatty acids: A mass spectrometry-based investigation in subjects at clinical high-risk for psychosis. Translational Psychiatry 12, article number: 454. (10.1038/s41398-022-02217-0)
- Heurich, M., Föcking, M., Mongan, D., Cagney, G. and Cotter, D. R. 2022. Dysregulation of complement and coagulation pathways: emerging mechanisms in the development of psychosis. Molecular Psychiatry 27, pp. 127-140. (10.1038/s41380-021-01197-9)
- Baker, A. T. et al. 2021. ChAdOx1 interacts with CAR and PF4 with implications for thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome. Science Advances 7(49), article number: eabl8213. (10.1126/sciadv.abl8213)
- Pathare, N., Szakmany, T., Hall, J. E. and Heurich, M. 2021. Plasma IgM levels differentiate between survivors and non-survivors of culture-positive and culture-negative sepsis and SIRS: a pilot study. Journal of Clinical Medicine 10(22), article number: 5391. (10.3390/jcm10225391)
- Howes, O., Cummings, C. and Heurich, M. 2021. Translation from genes to mechanism in schizophrenia: are immune-synaptic interactions the missing link?. Biological Psychiatry 90(9), pp. 593-595. (10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.08.014)
- Flude, B. M. et al. 2021. Targeting the complement serine protease MASP-2 as a therapeutic strategy for coronavirus infections. Viruses 13(2), article number: 312. (10.3390/v13020312)
- Mongan, D. et al. 2021. Development of proteomic prediction models for transition to psychotic disorder in the clinical high-risk state and psychotic experiences in adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry 78(1), pp. 77-90. (10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2459)
- Madrid-Gambin, F. et al. 2019. Integrated lipidomics and proteomics point to early blood-based changes in childhood preceding later development of psychotic experiences: evidence from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Biological Psychiatry 86(1), pp. 25-34. (10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.01.018)
- Föcking, M. et al. 2019. Complement pathway changes at age 12 are associated with psychotic experiences at age 18 in a longitudinal population-based study: evidence for a role of stress. Molecular Psychiatry 26, pp. 524-533. (10.1038/s41380-018-0306-z)
- Heurich-Sevcenco, M., Preston, R., O'Donnell, V. B., Morgan, B. P. and Collins, P. W. 2016. Thrombomodulin enhances complement regulation through strong affinity interactions with factor H and C3b-Factor H complex. Thrombosis Research 145, pp. 84-92. (10.1016/j.thromres.2016.07.017)
- Martínez-Barricarte, R. et al. 2015. The molecular and structural bases for the association of complement C3 mutations with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. Molecular Immunology 66(2), pp. 263-273. (10.1016/j.molimm.2015.03.248)
- Szakmany, T. and Heurich-Sevcenco, M. 2015. Immunomodulation in sepsis - why blunting the response doesn't work?. Journal of Infection 71(2), pp. 147-149. (10.1016/j.jinf.2015.04.019)
- Heurich, M., Altintas, Z. and Tothill, I. 2013. Computational Design of Peptide Ligands for Ochratoxin A. Toxins 5(6), pp. 1202-1218. (10.3390/toxins5061202)
- Harris, C. L., Heurich, M., Rodriguez de Cordoba, S. and Morgan, B. P. 2012. The complotype: dictating risk for inflammation and infection. Trends in Immunology 33(10), pp. 513-521. (10.1016/j.it.2012.06.001)
- Heurich, M., Martinez-Barricarte, R., Francis, N., Roberts, D. L., Rodriguez de Cordoba, S., Morgan, B. P. and Harris, C. L. 2011. Common polymorphisms in C3, factor B, and factor H collaborate to determine systemic complement activity and disease risk. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108(21), pp. 8761-8766. (10.1073/pnas.1019338108)
- Martínez-Barricarte, R. et al. 2010. Human C3 mutation reveals a mechanism of dense deposit disease pathogenesis and provides insights into complement activation and regulation. Journal of Clinical Investigation 120(10), pp. 3702-3712. (10.1172/JCI43343)
- Heurich-Sevcenco, M., Preston, R., O'Donnell, V. B., Morgan, B. P. and Collins, P. W. 2016. Thrombomodulin enhances complement regulation through strong affinity interactions with factor H and C3b-Factor H complex. Thrombosis Research 145, pp. 84-92. (10.1016/j.thromres.2016.07.017)
- Martínez-Barricarte, R. et al. 2015. The molecular and structural bases for the association of complement C3 mutations with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. Molecular Immunology 66(2), pp. 263-273. (10.1016/j.molimm.2015.03.248)
Research
Research areas
- Mechanisms of complement and coagulation molecular crosstalk in health and disease
- Role of altered complement and coagulation pathways in psychosis and schizophrenia
- Blood biomarkers
- Complement therapeutics
My past research has largely focussed on the characterisation of protein structure-function analysis leading to dysregulation of the complement system, part of the innate immune defence, including the complotype.
https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.molimm.2015.03.248
https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.it.2012.06.001
https://doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.1019338108
https://doi.org/10.1172%2Fjci43343
My research lab at the School of Pharmacy investigates the molecular crosstalk between the two innate defence systems against i) pathogen invasion and ii) bleeding, namely complement and coagulation. Both complement and coagulation systems are structurally and organisationally similar protein cascades that are activated by defined triggers, often in parallel.
Dysregulation of these systems have been associated with many diseases with pro-inflammatory and pro-coagulant pathology.
We are currently studying complement and coagulation crosstalk on the protein and cellular level in vitro and investigating in vivo mechanisms.
Current projects include:
i) With clinical colleagues at the School of Medicine and UHW Cardiff we are analysing the impact of complement factor H on coagulation function building on past work characterising the crosstalk of coagulation regulator thrombomodulin with complement regulator factor H.
https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.thromres.2016.07.017
Our most recent work describing "Complement Regulator Factor H is a Cofactor for Thrombin in both Pro- and Anticoagulant Roles" can be viewed as full-text preprint: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.22.452893v1
ii) In collaboration with colleagues at RCSI Dublin my lab is studying the impact of complement and coagulation activation in individuals who progress to psychotic experiences or psychotic disorders.
Our review article "Dysregulation of complement and coagulation pathways: emerging mechanisms in the development of psychosis" describing the integral roles of these blood-borne pathways in the development of psychosis. Access the review article here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-021-01197-9
PhD opportunities
(SELF-FUNDED ONLY)
Dr Heurich is offering several PhD student opportunities for self-funded students.
Please email heurichm@cardiff.ac.uk for further inquiries.
Teaching
- MPharm
- PH1123 module: Structure and function of cells (Module Lead)
- PH1124 module: Human body systems - Basic Immunology (Unit Lead)
- PH2113 module: Drugs and Diseases 1 - Clinical Immunology (Unit Lead)
- PH3113 module: Drugs and Diseases 2 - Rheumatology (Lecture)
- PH4116 module: Research Projects
- MSc Cancer Biology
- PHT804 MSc Cancer Biology - Research Methods (Practical)
Biography
08/2022 - present - Senior Lecturer
Research in Protein Biochemistry and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, UK.
01/2017 – Lecturer (Teaching & Research)
06/2016 -12/2016 Senior Postdoc in Molecular Virology, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Institute of Infection & Immunity, Cardiff University, UK
03/2012 – 06/2016 Career Development Research Fellowship, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Institute of Infection & Immunity, Cardiff University, UK
09/2011 – 02/2012 Postdoc/Research Associate in Complement Biology, Institute of Psychological Medicine & Clinical Neurosciences and Institute of Infection & Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK.
09/2008 – 08/2011 Postdoc/Research Associate in Complement Biology, Department of Infection, Immunity & Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK.
04/2007-07/2008 Research Assistant in Complement Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK.
Education
04/2004 – 04/2008 PhD in Biochemical and Biophysical Research, Cranfield Biotechnology Centre, Cranfield University, UK.
10/1997 – 09/2003 Diploma Degree in Biochemistry, Potsdam University, Germany
Contact Details
+44 29208 76657
Redwood Building, Room 2.57B, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB
