![Bruce Maclachlan BSc (Hons), PhD](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/7248?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Bruce Maclachlan
(he/him)
BSc (Hons), PhD
Teams and roles for Bruce Maclachlan
HCRW Health Research Fellow
Overview
My research uses structural, biophysical & cellular techniques to gain insight into immune function. My interests are in the recognition events between immune cells and their targets. I have a specific interest in T cell recognition of antigens presented on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. My work aims to understand the molecular rules of this system in order to exploit our understanding to generate better immune therapies.
Publication
2026
- Saud, Z. et al. 2026. Discovery of a fungal Tc toxin complex and functional mycoserpin through a novel two-by-two comparative genomics approach. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 16 1800461. (10.3389/fcimb.2026.1800461)
2024
- Pymm, P. et al., 2024. The structural basis for recognition of human leukocyte antigen class I molecules by the Pan-HLA antibody w6/32. The Journal of Immunology 213 (6), pp.876-885. (10.4049/jimmunol.2400328)
- MacLachlan, B. et al. 2024. Structure of the murine CD94–NKG2A receptor in complex with Qa-1b presenting an MHC-I leader peptide. The FEBS Journal 291 (7), pp.1530-1544. (10.1111/febs.17050)
- Hulin-Curtis, S. et al., 2024. A targeted single mutation in influenza A virus universal epitope transforms immunogenicity and protective immunity via CD4+ T cell activation. Cell Reports 43 (6) 114259. (10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114259)
2023
- Chen, Y. et al. 2023. Structural definition of HLA class II-presented SARS-CoV-2 epitopes reveals a mechanism to escape pre-existing CD4+ T cell immunity. Cell Reports 42 (8) 112827. (10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112827)
2021
- Burnell, S. E. A. et al. 2021. Seven mysteries of LAG-3: a multi-faceted immune receptor of increasing complexity. Immunotherapy Advances 2 (1) ltab025. (10.1093/immadv/ltab025)
- MacLachlan, B. J. et al. 2021. Molecular characterization of HLA class II binding to the LAG-3 T cell co-inhibitory receptor. European Journal of Immunology 51 (2), pp.331-341. (10.1002/eji.202048753)
2020
- Greenshields-Watson, A. et al. 2020. CD4 + T cells recognize conserved influenza A epitopes through shared patterns of V-Gene usage and complementary biochemical features. Cell Reports 32 (2) 107885. (10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107885)
2019
- Besneux, M. et al., 2019. The nature of the human T cell response to the cancer antigen 5T4 is determined by the balance of regulatory and inflammatory T cells of the same antigen-specificity: implications for vaccine design. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy 68 , pp.247-256. (10.1007/s00262-018-2266-1)
2018
- Holland, C. J. et al. 2018. In silico and structural analyses demonstrate that intrinsic protein motions guide T cell receptor complementarity determining region loop flexibility. Frontiers in Immunology 9 674. (10.3389/fimmu.2018.00674)
2017
- MacLachlan, B. J. et al. 2017. Using X-ray crystallography, biophysics, and functional assays to determine the mechanisms governing T-cell receptor recognition of cancer antigens. Journal of Visualized Experiments (120) e54991. (10.3791/54991)
2016
- MacLachlan, B. J. 2016. Molecular characterisation of CD4+ T cell responses to tumour antigens. PhD Thesis , Cardiff University.
Articles
- Saud, Z. et al. 2026. Discovery of a fungal Tc toxin complex and functional mycoserpin through a novel two-by-two comparative genomics approach. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 16 1800461. (10.3389/fcimb.2026.1800461)
- Pymm, P. et al., 2024. The structural basis for recognition of human leukocyte antigen class I molecules by the Pan-HLA antibody w6/32. The Journal of Immunology 213 (6), pp.876-885. (10.4049/jimmunol.2400328)
- MacLachlan, B. et al. 2024. Structure of the murine CD94–NKG2A receptor in complex with Qa-1b presenting an MHC-I leader peptide. The FEBS Journal 291 (7), pp.1530-1544. (10.1111/febs.17050)
- Hulin-Curtis, S. et al., 2024. A targeted single mutation in influenza A virus universal epitope transforms immunogenicity and protective immunity via CD4+ T cell activation. Cell Reports 43 (6) 114259. (10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114259)
- Chen, Y. et al. 2023. Structural definition of HLA class II-presented SARS-CoV-2 epitopes reveals a mechanism to escape pre-existing CD4+ T cell immunity. Cell Reports 42 (8) 112827. (10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112827)
- Burnell, S. E. A. et al. 2021. Seven mysteries of LAG-3: a multi-faceted immune receptor of increasing complexity. Immunotherapy Advances 2 (1) ltab025. (10.1093/immadv/ltab025)
- MacLachlan, B. J. et al. 2021. Molecular characterization of HLA class II binding to the LAG-3 T cell co-inhibitory receptor. European Journal of Immunology 51 (2), pp.331-341. (10.1002/eji.202048753)
- Greenshields-Watson, A. et al. 2020. CD4 + T cells recognize conserved influenza A epitopes through shared patterns of V-Gene usage and complementary biochemical features. Cell Reports 32 (2) 107885. (10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107885)
- Besneux, M. et al., 2019. The nature of the human T cell response to the cancer antigen 5T4 is determined by the balance of regulatory and inflammatory T cells of the same antigen-specificity: implications for vaccine design. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy 68 , pp.247-256. (10.1007/s00262-018-2266-1)
- Holland, C. J. et al. 2018. In silico and structural analyses demonstrate that intrinsic protein motions guide T cell receptor complementarity determining region loop flexibility. Frontiers in Immunology 9 674. (10.3389/fimmu.2018.00674)
- MacLachlan, B. J. et al. 2017. Using X-ray crystallography, biophysics, and functional assays to determine the mechanisms governing T-cell receptor recognition of cancer antigens. Journal of Visualized Experiments (120) e54991. (10.3791/54991)
Thesis
- MacLachlan, B. J. 2016. Molecular characterisation of CD4+ T cell responses to tumour antigens. PhD Thesis , Cardiff University.
Research
My research focuses on how the immune system recognises cancer with the aim of harnessing this knowledge to design improved cancer vaccines. I have utilised structural and molecular biology techniques to understand important immune recognition events between immune cells and target antigens – which flag the presence of cancer or viral infection to the immune system.
My current research aims are to describe the nature of tumour antigens which are presented to CD4+ T cells for recognition and to use structure guided approaches to make T cells recognise these tumour antigens more effectively.
Biography
I studied Biochemistry BSc (Hons) at Imperial College London (2012). I was awarded a PhD in Cancer Biology from Cardiff University in 2017 where I studied CD4+ ‘helper’ T cells in colorectal cancer supervised by Dr David Cole and Prof Andrew Godkin. In 2018, I spent time as a post-doctoral researcher in Monash University (Australia) in the lab of Prof Jamie Rossjohn, researching NK cell receptors. In 2022, I was awarded a Health Research Fellowship from Health and Care Research Wales to study the HLA class-II antigen presentation system.
Contact Details
Henry Wellcome Building for Biomedical Research, Room 3F08, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN
Research themes
Specialisms
- Structural biology
- Immunology
- Protein chemistry
- Cancer immunology
- T cell immunity