Dated - February 25, 2013
Dear All,
As part of new study beginning in Caroline Jefferies research group in MCT we are seeking to recruit male and female blood donors aged between 40-70 yrs.
We are hoping to get a list of willing donors that we can contact when donations are required.
We would need 60mls of blood and all donors will receive a Dunnes Stores gift voucher (€10) for donating blood.
Our study focuses on the autoimmune disease Sjögren’s Syndrome (SS), women are 9 times more likely to suffer from SS than men. SS occurs when the bodies immune system, which normally provides protection from infection, begins to attack parts of the body instead. There is currently no cure for SS and the exact cause is unknown, however genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a role. The body’s response to both bacterial and viral infections is also thought to contribute to disease development and severity.
This study aims to clearly characterise peripheral blood cells in SS patients and establish if peripheral anti-bacterial or anti-viral responses are inappropriately regulated.
Please contact joannigabhann@rcsi.ie if you are interested in participating in the study.
Kind regards,
Joan Ní Gabhann PhD
Honorary Lecturer in Biochemistry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland