Dr Adam P Lightfoot
Senior Lecturer
My profile
Biography
Adam Lightfoot is Senior Lecturer in Physiology in the Department of Life Science at Manchester Metropolitan University. He was awarded a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences in 2006, and MRes in Jan Lotvall’s lab at Gothenberg University, in Cell Biology in 2007. Adam was awarded his PhD in 2011, examining the role of skeletal muscle as an endocrine organ, working with Anne McArdle and Richard Griffiths at the University of Liverpool.
Postdoctoral work followed with a Mersey Kidney First award, investigating mitochondrial dysfunction and skeletal muscle weakness in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Adam was appointed Research Fellow in 2013, working alongside Bob Cooper, examining the cellular and molecular mechanisms of muscle weakness in patients with myositis, funded by Myositis UK.
Adam joined Manchester Met in 2016 as Lecturer, and continued research in myositis, with awards from The Royal Society & The Physiological Society, appointed Senior Lecturer in 2018. Adam took sabbatical in 2021, taking a role in Obesity at Novo Nordisk, before moving to Liverpool John Moores in 2022. Adam re-joined Manchester Met in January 2024 as Senior Lecturer in Physiology, leading an on-going research portfolio, in rare metabolic, mitochondrial diseases, obesity and ageing.
Adam has received in the region of ~£800k in competitive grant funding to-date, with awards from Myositis UK, The Myositis Association, The Royal Society & The Physiological Society. He has an array of high-quality publications in leading journals with the field: FASEB J, Annals of the Rheumatic Dieases, Arthritis & Rheumatology, Journal of Physiology.
Interests and expertise
I am a cell and molecular physiologist, with a specific interest in mechanistic research in neuromuscular, mitochondrial, metabolic diseases and obesity. My research falls within the following themes:
Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (myositis): My research since 2013 has been investigating the non-immune cell mediated mechanisms of muscle weakness in patients with myositis. My lab has developed human pre-clinical models of myositis and used primary patient biopsy samples to study mitochondrial dysfunction, UPR and redox dis-homeostasis, in an effort to provide insight into new avenues for therapy.
Muscle-adipose crosstalk: We are interested in the bi-directional communication and signalling which occurs between skeletal muscle and adipose tissue in the context of sarcopenic obesity (SO). Sarcopenic obesity sits at the axis of the ageing and obesity epidemic and remains a poorly characterised and understood. The loss of muscle mass and function accompanying increased adiposity (myosteatosis) is an unmet clinical need, moreover there is a paucity of evidence in understanding the mechanisms responsible for this phenotype. My lab is focused modelling that crosstalk, using state-of-the-art human co-culture systems and metabolic analyses to disentangle factors and mechanisms.
Development of human relevant pre-clinical models of skeletal muscle: In collaboration with Dr Nasser Al-Shanti, we are driven to develop better human pre-clinical platforms of muscle disease, as a platform for mechanistic discovery. We have developed co-culture techniques and methods, as well as overexpressor cell lines, to model human disease in vitro.
I am accepting applications for self-funded MRes and PhD students - please email me directly to discuss.
Research outputs
I am an experienced researcher and academic, with expertise in the study of mitochondrial dysfunction and redox biology in neuromuscular diseases, ageing, rare metabolic diseases and obesity.
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
Lightfoot, A.P. (2016) Skeletal muscles in the rheumatic diseases - Rheumatology 7th Edition. Elsevier.
Lightfoot, A.P. (2016) Muscle Physiology in IIM - The Myositis Handbook: An Inclusive Guide to the Inflammatory Myopathies. Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers.
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Journal articles
Bell, G., Thoma, A., Hargreaves, I.P., Lightfoot, A.P. (2024) 'The Role of Mitochondria in Statin-Induced Myopathy.' Drug Safety,
Thoma, A., Earl, K.E., Goljanek‐Whysall, K., Lightfoot, A.P. (2022) 'Major histocompatibility complex I‐induced endoplasmic reticulum stress mediates the secretion of pro‐inflammatory muscle‐derived cytokines.' Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, 26(24) pp. 6032-6041.
Zaabalawi, A., Renshall, L., Beards, F., Lightfoot, A.P., Degens, H., Alexander, Y., Hasan, R., Bilal, H., Graf, B.A., Harris, L.K., Azzawi, M. (2022) 'Internal Mammary Arteries as a Model to Demonstrate Restoration of the Impaired Vasodilation in Hypertension, Using Liposomal Delivery of the CYP1B1 Inhibitor, 2,3′,4,5′-Tetramethoxystilbene.' Pharmaceutics, 14(10) pp. 2046-2046.
Astley, C., Houacine, C., Zaabalawi, A., Wilkinson, F., Lightfoot, A.P., Alexander, Y., Whitehead, D., Singh, K.K., Azzawi, M. (2021) 'Nanostructured lipid carriers deliver resveratrol, restoring attenuated dilation in small coronary arteries, via the AMPK pathway.' Biomedicines, 9(12)
Saini, J., Faroni, A., Reid, A.J., Mouly, V., Butler-Browne, G., Lightfoot, A.P., McPhee, J.S., Degens, H., Al-Shanti, N. (2021) 'Cross-talk between motor neurons and myotubes via endogenously secreted neural and muscular growth factors..' Physiological Reports, 9(8)
Mahmoud, A.M., Wilkinson, F.L., Sandhu, M.A., Lightfoot, A.P. (2021) 'The Interplay of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Potential of Antioxidants.' Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2021
Mahmoud, A.M., Wilkinson, F.L., Lightfoot, A.P., Dos Santos, J.M., Sandhu, M.A. (2021) 'The Role of Natural and Synthetic Antioxidants in Modulating Oxidative Stress in Drug-Induced Injury and Metabolic Disorders 2020.' Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2021
Saini, J., Faroni, A., Reid, A.J., Mamchaoui, K., Mouly, V., Butler-Browne, G., Lightfoot, A.P., McPhee, J.S., Degens, H., Al-Shanti, N. (2020) 'A Novel Bioengineered Functional Motor Unit Platform to Study Neuromuscular Interaction..' Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(10)
Thoma, A., Lyon, M., Al-Shanti, N., Nye, G.A., Cooper, R.G., Lightfoot, A.P. (2020) 'Eukarion-134 attenuates endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in human skeletal muscle cells.' Antioxidants,
Thoma, A., Lyon, M., Al-Shanti, N., Nye, G., Cooper, R., Lightfoot, A. (2020) 'Eukarion-134 Attenuates Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Human Skeletal Muscle Cells.' Antioxidants, 9(8)
Parkes, J.E., Thoma, A., Lightfoot, A.P., Day, P.J., Chinoy, H., Lamb, J.A. (2020) 'MicroRNA and mRNA profiling in the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.' BMC Rheumatology, 4(1)
Thoma, A., Akter-Miah, T., Reade, R.L., Lightfoot, A.P. (2020) 'Targeting reactive oxygen species (ROS) to combat the age-related loss of muscle mass and function.' Biogerontology, 21(4) pp. 475-484.
Zaabalawi, A., Astley, C., Renshall, L., Beards, F., Lightfoot, A.P., Degens, H., Whitehead, D., Alexander, Y., Harris, L.K., Azzawi, M. (2019) 'Tetramethoxystilbene-Loaded Liposomes Restore Reactive-Oxygen-Species-Mediated Attenuation of Dilator Responses in Rat Aortic Vessels Ex vivo.' Molecules, 24(23)
Saini, J., Faroni, A., Abd Al Samid, M., Reid, A.J., Lightfoot, A.P., Mamchaoui, K., Mouly, V., Butler-Browne, G., McPhee, J.S., Degens, H., Al-Shanti, N. (2019) 'Simplified in vitro engineering of neuromuscular junctions between rat embryonic motoneurons and immortalized human skeletal muscle cells.' Stem Cells and Cloning : Advances and Applications, 12pp. 1-9.
Lightfoot, A., Morgan, R., Parkes, J., Thoma, A., Iwanejko, L., Cooper, R. (2018) '17-(Allylamino)-17demethoxygeldanamycin reduces Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in C2C12 myotubes.' bioRxiV,
Thoma, A., Lightfoot, A.P. (2018) 'Nf-kb and inflammatory cytokine signalling: Role in skeletal muscle atrophy.' Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 1088pp. 267-279.
Nye, G.A., Sakellariou, G.K., Degens, H., Lightfoot, A.P. (2017) 'Muscling in on mitochondrial sexual dimorphism; role of mitochondrial dimorphism in skeletal muscle health and disease..' Clinical science (London, England : 1979), 131(15) pp. 1919-1922.
Sakellariou, G.K., Lightfoot, A.P., Earl, K.E., Stofanko, M., McDonagh, B. (2017) 'Redox homeostasis and age-related deficits in neuromuscular integrity and function.' Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 8(6) pp. 881-906.
McPhee, J.S., Lightfoot, A.P. (2017) 'Post-exercise recovery regimes: blowing hot and cold.' The Journal of Physiology, 595(3) pp. 627-628.
Lightfoot, A.P., Cooper, R.G. (2016) 'The role of myokines in muscle health and disease..' Current Opinion in Rheumatology, 28(6) pp. 661-666.
Sakellariou, G.K., Pearson, T., Lightfoot, A.P., Nye, G.A., Wells, N., Giakoumaki, I.I., Vasilaki, A., Griffiths, R.D., Jackson, M.J., McArdle, A. (2016) 'Mitochondrial ROS regulate oxidative damage and mitophagy but not age-related muscle fiber atrophy..' Scientific Reports, 6
Sakellariou, G.K., Pearson, T., Lightfoot, A.P., Nye, G.A., Wells, N., Giakoumaki, I.I., Griffiths, R.D., McArdle, A., Jackson, M.J. (2016) 'Long-term administration of the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant mitoquinone mesylate fails to attenuate age-related oxidative damage or rescue the loss of muscle mass and function associated with aging of skeletal muscle.' The FASEB Journal, 30(11) pp. 3771-3785.
Lightfoot, A.P., Cooper, R.G. (2016) 'Editorial: Endurance Exercise: An Important Therapeutic Adjuvant in the Overall Treatment of Myositis?.' Arthritis and Rheumatology, 68(7) pp. 1578-1581.
Lightfoot, A.P., Sakellariou, G.K., Nye, G.A., McArdle, F., Jackson, M.J., Griffiths, R.D., McArdle, A. (2015) 'SS-31 attenuates TNF-α induced cytokine release from C2C12 myotubes.' Redox Biology, 6pp. 253-259.
Lightfoot, A.P., Nagaraju, K., McArdle, A., Cooper, R.G. (2015) 'Understanding the origin of non-immune cellmediated weakness in the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies - Potential role of ER stress pathways.' Current Opinion in Rheumatology, 27(6) pp. 580-585.
Lightfoot, A.P., Cooper, R.G. (2015) 'Response to: 'In the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, reactive oxygen species are at the crossroad between immune and non-immune cell mediated mechanisms' by Meyer et al.' Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases,
Lightfoot, A.P., McArdle, A., Jackson, M.J., Cooper, R.G. (2015) 'In the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), do reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to muscle weakness?.' Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 74(7) pp. 1340-1346.
(2015) 'O42. Is Muscle a Chemotactic Organ in the Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIM)? Overexpression of MHC I (H-2Kb) in C2C12 Myotubes Results in Release of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines.' Rheumatology,
Lightfoot, A.P., McCormick, R., Nye, G.A., McArdle, A. (2014) 'Mechanisms of skeletal muscle ageing; Avenues for therapeutic intervention.' Current Opinion in Pharmacology, 16(1) pp. 116-121.
Lightfoot, A.P. (2009) 'Skeletal Muscle ageing; implications for the immune response.' eLIFESPAN,
Lightfoot, A., McArdle, A., Griffiths, R.D. (2009) 'Muscle in defense.' Critical Care Medicine, 37(SUPPL. 10)
Sjostrand, M., Lasser, C., Valadi, H., Lightfoot, A.P., Malmer, A., Bossios, A., Lotvall, J. (2008) 'Detection and characterisation of exosomes of monocyte and human proinflammatory macrophage type I origin.' ALLERGY,
Lightfoot, A.P., Hasan, A.M., Dent, G. (2006) 'Opsonized zymosan stimulates CXC chemokine secretion from bronchial epithelial cells.' European Respiratory Journal,
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Conference papers
Astley, C., Houacine, C., Wilkinson, F.L., Lightfoot, A., Singh, K., Whitehead, D., Alexander, Y., Azzawi, M. (2019) 'Resveratrol-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Restore Dilator Function Following Acute Pressure Elevation, Ex Vivo.' In 3rd Joint Meeting of the European-Society-for-Microcirculation (ESM) and the European-Vascular-Biology-Organization (EVBO). 56. Maastricht, NETHERLANDS, 15/4/2019 - 18/4/2019. KARGER, pp. 7-7.
Alsehli, F., Lightfoot, A., Ahmed, N., Shalamanova, L. (2018) 'FIBROSIS-RELATED MICRORNA ARE DYSREGULATED BY HYPERGLYCAEMIA IN HUMAN PROXIMAL TUBULAR EPITHELIAL CELLS.' In 55th Congress of the European-Renal-Association (ERA) and European-Dialysis-and-Transplantation-Association (EDTA). 33. Copenhagen, DENMARK, 24/5/2018 - 27/5/2018. OXFORD UNIV PRESS,
Lyon, M., Al-Shanti, N., Lightfoot, A.P., Cooper, R. (2018) 'The antioxidant EUK-134 mitigates ER stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in human skeletal muscle cells [Abstract].' 57. 1/5/2018 - 3/5/2018. Oxford University Press (OUP),
Lightfoot, A.P., Morgan, R.S., Cooper, R.G. (2016) 'HMGB1 INDUCES REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES (ROS)-DEPENDENT ACTIVATION OF THE ER STRESS PATHWAY IN C2C12 MYOTUBES.' In Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR). 75. London, ENGLAND, 8/6/2016 - 11/6/2016. BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, pp. 521-521.
Pollock, N., Staunton, C.A., Vasilaki, A., Lightfoot, A.P., Barrett-Jolley, R., McArdle, A., Jackson, M.J. (2016) 'The Role of Denervation in Cytokine-Mediated Muscle Dysfunction in Muscles of Old Mice.' Federation of American Society of Experimental Biology (FASEB),
Lightfoot, A.P., Goljanek-Whysall, K., Cotton, C.V., Earl, K.E., McArdle, A., Cooper, R.G. (2015) 'Investigating the Pathogenic Role of ER Stress Pathway Activation in the Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIM): Skeletal Muscle Cells As a Source of Cytokines (Myokines).' Wiley: 12 months,
Lightfoot, A.P., Goljanek_Whysall, K., McArdle, A., Cooper, R.G. (2015) '. Investigating the Pathogenic Role of ER Stress Pathways in the Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIM): Interrogating the Role of MicroRNA133a As an Important Regulator of ER Stress Activation.' Wiley: 12 months,
Lightfoot, A.P., Jackson, M.J., McArdle, A., Cooper, R.G. (2015) 'Heat shock protein 70 protects against ER stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction; a potential therapeutic target to reduce muscle weakness in IIM?.' Oxford University Press (OUP): Policy B - Oxford Open Option B,
Lightfoot, A.P., Goljanek-Whysall, K., Cotton, C.V., McArdle, A., Cooper, R.G. (2015) 'Is muscle a chemotactic organ in the Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIM)? Overexpression of MHC-I (H-2kb) in C2C12 myotubes results results in release of pro-inflammatory cytokines.' Oxford University Press (OUP): Policy B - Oxford Open Option B,
Earl, K.E., Lightfoot, A.P., McArdle, A. (2015) 'The impact of resveratrol treatment on TNF-α-induced cytokine release by C2C12 myotubes.' Federation of American Society of Experimental Biology (FASEB),
Earl, K., Lightfoot, A., McArdle, A. (2015) 'The Impact of a Polyphenol Treatment on TNF-alpha-Induced Cytokine Release from C2C12 Myotubes.' In Experimental Biology Meeting. 29. Boston, MA, 28/3/2015 - 1/4/2015. FEDERATION AMER SOC EXP BIOL,
Lightfoot, A.P., Jackson, M.J., McArdle, A., Cooper, R.G. (2014) 'Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and atrophy can be prevented by pharmacological up-regulation of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in cultured murine myotubes.' Wiley: 12 months,
Sakellariou, G.K., Lightfoot, A.P., Pearson, T., Wells, N., Gimore, A., Griffiths, R.D., McArdle, A., Jackson, M.J. (2014) 'Mitochondrial ROS generation and function in skeletal muscle from older subjects.' Federation of American Society of Experimental Biology (FASEB),
Pollock, N., Vasilaki, A., Lightfoot, A.P., Jackson, M.J., McArdle, A. (2014) 'NFκB activation in hindlimb muscles from adult and old mice at rest and following contractile activity.' Federation of American Society of Experimental Biology (FASEB),
Lightfoot, A.P., Sakellariou, G.K., Nye, G.A., McArdle, F., Jackson, M.J., Griffiths, R.D., McArdle, A. (2014) 'Mitochondrial superoxide mediates TNF-α-induced myokine release from C2C12 myotubes.' Federation of American Society of Experimental Biology (FASEB),
Nye, G.A., Lightfoot, A.P., Sakellariou, G.K., Boudiffa, M., Bellantuono, I., Brooks, S.V., Richardson, A., Jackson, M.J., Van Remmen, H., Jeffrey, N., McArdle, A. (2014) 'Musculoskeletal changes in superoxide dismutase 1 null mice.' Federation of American Society of Experimental Biology (FASEB),
Sakellariou, G.K., Lightfoot, A.P., Vasilaki, A., Nye, G., van Remmen, H., Brooks, S., McArdle, A., Jackson, M.J. (2013) 'Accelerated age-related loss of muscle mass in homozygotic SOD1 knockout mice is not associated with neuronal oxidative damage.' Elsevier,
Lightfoot, A.P., Kayani, A.C., McArdle, F., Griffiths, R.D., McArdle, A. (2010) 'Skeletal Muscle as an Endocrine Organ; the role of TNF-α.' In FASEB.
Lightfoot, A.P., Harrison, D., Kayani, A., McArdle, F., Griffiths, R.D., McArdle, A. (2010) 'Skeletal Muscle as an Endocrine organ; the effect of TNF-alpha.' 24. FEDERATION AMER SOC EXP BIOL,
Lightfoot, A.P., Kayani, A.C., McArdle, F., Griffiths, R.D., McArdle, A. (2009) 'The effect of TNF-α on Skeletal Muscle Myokine Production.' In Physiology. Dublin, Wiley: 12 months,