Joanne Masterson. Image: Daniel Balteanu
Dr Joanne Masterson discusses her work on rare, or not so rare, diseases and some of the challenges of biomedical research.
Human health is a sphere in which the key figures can never afford to become static. The evolution of curiosity, knowledge and skills and how they are implemented is the figurative heartbeat of the sector.
Dr Joanne Masterson is an associate professor in the Department of Biology at Maynooth University. From early beginnings as a Health Research Board Summer Scholar up to her current position at Maynooth University, she has always found that knowledge drives the industry forward.
“I was bitten by the biomedical research bug. I wanted to help people who were sick to feel better, and there was so much we still didn’t know. Research was this amazing gateway to understanding the human world and disease in a way I had never dreamed,” she told SiliconRepublic.com.
Masterson’s research into eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a disease of the digestive system, with support from Science Foundation Ireland and the Health Research Board, enabled her to establish Ireland’s first EoE research laboratory at Maynooth University. A designated clinic for EoE patients has since been established at St James’ Hospital in Dublin.
Understanding allergies
Masterson’s area of expertise is within the field of biomedical science, with a focus on mucosal biology. That is, she is interested in “any part of our body that comes into contact with our external environment, like our lungs, skin and gut.”
“I particularly focus on the cells that form the physical barrier that is there, called the epithelium, and this epithelium is often misprogrammed or leaky in many chronic diseases.
“Most recently, I have been focusing on how that barrier is broken in food allergic diseases, such as the emerging disease EoE, which I use as a model to study all allergic diseases.”
The ultimate goal of Masterson’s research is to discover how to correct this leak and thus far her work has enabled her to engage with both clinical collaborators and pharmaceutical experts.
Her findings, on an international scale, have been used in the development of new drugs for the pharma sector and also in how they advance towards clinical trials.
In her role as a research scientist, Masterson looks closely at the clinical knowledge of disease, the challenges in the curation of treatment and pharmaceutical development, citing the importance of liaising with all the bodies and patients involved.
“One of our interesting findings more recently has been around how the body senses oxygen levels in the tissue, a thing called hypoxia, and how this process is malfunctioning in patients with EoE and is thus causing a number of the complications associated with the disease. We are looking at ways to rectify this through our current biomedical research.”
Myth-busting
A significant misconception that Masterson has come up against in her research is the misguided belief that EoE is actually a very rare condition. Critical research and education on the disease has proven that this is no longer the case and she is anticipating improved discourse for those affected in the months and years to come.
“[EoE] is no longer classified as a rare disease. More and more, I am meeting people who have received a diagnosis and want to know more. We hope in the coming year to develop better relationships with Irish patients and get them involved in informing and directing our research efforts to improve their lives with this disease.”
A complex understanding of the immune system is required to really comprehend and target this disease, but Masterson has found that if the tissue isn’t fully treated, disease can “linger, smouldering in the background”.
“My research leads me to believe that we need to heal disease from within the tissue in addition to current approaches. That includes fixing those epithelial cells at the barriers I mentioned.”
The pandemic made evident the ability to expediently research and develop vital medicines; however, funding remains a hurdle in the production of new drugs. It is not always clear just how much it might cost to bring research from the realm of conceptualisation, all the way to a fully fleshed out, tangible product. Especially if the subject of your work is considered rare.
Masterson stated, “I work on rare diseases, and it can be hard to justify what research funding should support, but we all have only one life to live, be your disease rare or common. With enough funding we have world-class researchers who can make significant advances in health research and in medical practice.”
Acquiring and keeping talent also poses a significant threat to the stability of research within the biomedical space. Across the board, employees of all levels are difficult to retain, due to issues such as short-term contracts and the ever increasing cost of living.
To prevent de-evolving and the loss of the resources, Masterson believes “more is needed to sustain the investments that have already been made in establishing the world class base of researcher’s now existing in Ireland.”
“Recent moves to increase the PhD student stipends have been welcomed, as have changes in postdoctoral researcher salaries”.
Change occurs swiftly in the biomedical industry and Masterson is excited to see the heights to which it can soar. “In the last 15 years, we have gone from EoE as a rare disease, with a brand new method to diagnose the disease, to two regulatory body approved medicines for use in clinics, and it being not so rare after all.”
“New treatments have been transformative, but are not effective for all individuals and come with issues.”
As for the future, Masterson hopes to see “a dynamic armamentarium” of new medicines, and personalised medicine, where each patient receives tailored treatments, “becoming the norm”.
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