Professor Ranjeny Thomas

Arthritis Qld Chair of Rheumatology

Frazer Institute
Faculty of Medicine
ranjeny.thomas@uq.edu.au
+61 7 344 36960

Overview

Professor Thomas’ research is focused on the study of the biology and clinical use of human dendritic cells in autoimmune disease. It has explored basic mechanisms of immunity and dendritic cell function in autoimmune disease.

Professor Thomas is a graduate of the University of Western Australia. She received her MBBS in 1984, and then trained in Perth as a rheumatologist. She commenced a research fellowship with Peter Lipsky at Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas in 1990, where she first identified and characterised human circulating dendritic cell precursors. She is now Professor of Rheumatology at The University of Queensland's Frazer Institute, Translational Research Institute, consultant Rheumatologist at Princess Alexandra Hospital and fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. In 2020 she was awarded Member of the Order of Australia. She has founded two spin-off companies Dendright (2006-2021), and Liperate in 2022.

Her research seeks to understand autoimmune disease and restoration of immune tolerance. Through this work, she developed dendritic cell-based citrullinated antigen-specific immunotherapy in the first proof-of-concept trial in Rheumatoid Arthritis. She then developed a liposome immunotherapy that targets dendritic cells to induce antigen-specific tolerance, opening new opportunities for the control and prevention of autoimmune disease. Dendright progressed a liposome-based tolerance strategy for rheumatoid arthritis to a phase I trial, and Liperate is planning to open a trial of a liposome-based tolerance strategy for type 1 diabetes in 2024. She has contributed major insights into immune tolerance mechanisms and interaction between microbiome and the immune system to trigger or control spondyloarthropathy.

Research Impacts

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammatory autoimmune disease, reduces quality of life for patients. Inflammation was thought to drive RA, however, current treatment strategies are anti-inflammatory and broadly immunosuppressive but cannot cure the disease. Our research program represented a paradigm shift in RA treatment and prevention which led to a novel therapy.

We discovered the role played by dendritic cells presenting self-antigens to expand T cells in RA and strategies to retrain disease-causing dendritic cells and T cells through dendritic cell therapy and targeting. This informed the development of liposome (nanoparticles encapsulating self-antigen and a drug to modify dendritic cell function) immunotherapy. Our first-generation liposome immunotherapy, DEN-181, was trialled in RA by Dendright, in partnership with Janssen Biotech Inc. (Galea et al, JCI Insight 2022). Our work attracted partnerships with philanthropic Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and Helmsley Foundation to extend to drug development in type 1 diabetes; and with CSL to extend to Sjogren's syndrome. These partnerships led to new antigen discovery and biomarker development, and pre-clinical model development. Within the European academic-industry consortium RT-CURE, we developed immune tolerance strategies to prevent and cure RA. As a result of successful development, scale-up and manufacture of a second-generation liposome immunotherapy, Liperate received funding for a phase 1 clinical trial of ASITI-201 in type 1 diabetes. The trial is expected to open in 2024.

Our economic impact was through patents in dendritic cell immunotherapy and dendritic cell targeting nanotechnologies, which led to two start-up companies, attracting partnerships with 3 pharmaceutical companies, and academic and commercialisation grants (including CUREator and Australian Economic Accelerator). The technology has created >20 jobs and 3 first-in-human clinical trials.

Qualifications

  • Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
  • Doctoral Diploma of Medicine, University of Western Australia
  • Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and Medical Science, University of Western Australia

Publications

  • Zeng, Bijun, Middelberg, Anton P. J., Gemiarto, Adrian, MacDonald, Kelli, Baxter, Alan G, Talekar, Meghna, Moi, Davide, Tullett, Kirsteen M, Caminschi, Irina, Lahoud, Mireille H, Mazzieri, Roberta, Dolcetti, Riccardo and Thomas, Ranjeny (2018). Self-adjuvanting nanoemulsion targeting dendritic cell receptor Clec9A enables antigen-specific immunotherapy. The Journal of clinical investigation, 128 (5), 1971-1984. doi: 10.1172/JCI96791

  • Mehdi, Ahmed M., Hamilton-Williams, Emma E., Cristino, Alexandre, Ziegler, Anette, Bonifacio, Ezio, Le Cao, Kim-Anh, Harris, Mark and Thomas, Ranjeny (2018). A peripheral blood transcriptomic signature predicts autoantibody development in infants at risk of type 1 diabetes. JCI Insight, 3 (5). doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.98212

  • Scally, Stephen W, Law, Soi-Cheng, Ting, Yi Tian, Heemst, Jurgen Van, Sokolove, Jeremy, Deutsch, Aaron J, Bridie Clemens, E., Moustakas, Antonis K, Papadopoulos, George K, Woude, Diane Van Der, Smolik, Irene, Hitchon, Carol A, Robinson, David B, Ferucci, Elizabeth D, Bernstein, Charles N, Meng, Xiaobo, Anaparti, Vidyanand, Huizinga, Tom, Kedzierska, Katherine, Reid, Hugh H, Raychaudhuri, Soumya, Toes, René E, Rossjohn, Jamie, El-Gabalawy, Hani and Thomas, Ranjeny (2017). Molecular basis for increased susceptibility of Indigenous North Americans to seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 76 (11), 1915-1923. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-211300

  • Benham, Helen, Nel, Hendrik J., Law, Soi Cheng, Mehdi, Ahmed M., Street, Shayna, Ramnoruth, Nishta, Pahau, Helen, Lee, Bernett T., Ng, Jennifer, Brunck, Marion E. G., Hyde, Claire, Trouw, Leendert A., Dudek, Nadine L., Purcell, Anthony W., O'Sullivan, Brendan J., Connolly, John E., Paul, Sanjoy K., Le Cao, Kim-Anh and Thomas, Ranjeny (2015). Citrullinated peptide dendritic cell immunotherapy in HLA risk genotype–positive rheumatoid arthritis patients. Science Translational Medicine, 7 (290) 290ra87, 290ra87.1-290ra87.11. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaa9301

  • Baillet, Athan C., Rehaume, Linda, Benham, Helen, O'Meara, Connor P., Armitage, Charles W., Ruscher, Roland, Brizard, Geraldine, Harvie, Marina C. G., Velasco, Jared, Hansbro, Phillip, Forrester, John V., Degli-Esposti, Mariapia, Beagley, Kenneth W. and Thomas, Ranjeny (2015). High Chlamydia burden promotes TNF-dependent reactive arthritis in SKG mice. Arthritis and Rheumatology, 67 (6), 1535-1547. doi: 10.1002/art.39041

  • Rehaume, Linda, Mondot, Stanislas, Aguirre de Cárcer, Daniel, Velasco, Jared, Benham, Helen, Hasnain, Sumaira Zia, Bowman, Jaclyn, Ruutu, Merja, Hansbro, Philip M., McGuckin, Michael, Morrison, Mark and Thomas, Ranjeny (2014). ZAP-70 genotype disrupts the relationship between microbiota and host leading to spondyloarthritis and ileitis in SKG Mice. Arthritis and Rheumatology, 66 (10), 2780-2792. doi: 10.1002/art.38773

  • Benham, Helen, Rehaume, Linda M., Hasnain, Sumaira Z., Velasco, Jared, Baillet, Athan C., Ruutu, Merja, Kikly, Kristine, Wang, Ran, Tseng, Hsu-Wen, Thomas, Gethin P., Brown, Matthew A., Strutton, Geoffrey, McGuckin, Michael A. and Thomas, Ranjeny (2014). Interleukin-23 mediates the intestinal response to microbial beta-glucan and the development of spondyloarthritis pathology in SKG mice. Arthritis and Rheumatology, 66 (7), 1755-1767. doi: 10.1002/art.38638

  • Scally, Stephen W., Petersen, Jan, Law, Soi Cheng, Dudek, Nadine L., Nel, Hendrik J., Loh, Khai Lee, Wijeyewickrema, Lakshmi C., Eckle, Sidonia B.G., van Heemst, Jurgen, Pike, Robert N., McCluskey, James, Toes, Rene E., La Gruta, Nicole L., Purcell, Anthony W., Reid, Hugh H., Thomas, Ranjeny and Rossjohn, Jamie (2013). A molecular basis for the association of the HLA-DRB1 locus, citrullination, and rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 210 (12), 2569-2582. doi: 10.1084/jem.20131241

  • Ruutu, Merja, Thomas, Gethin, Steck, Roland, Degli-Esposti, Mariapia A., Zinkernagel, Martin S., Alexander, Kylie, Velasco, Jared, Strutton, Geoffrey, Tran, Ai, Benham, Helen, Rehaume, Linda, Wilson, Robert J., Kikly, Kristine, Davies, Julian, Pettit, Allison R., Brown, Matthew A., McGuckin, Michael A. and Thomas, Ranjeny (2012). β-glucan triggers spondylarthritis and Crohn's disease–like ileitis in SKG mice. Arthritis and Rheumatism, 64 (7), 2211-2222. doi: 10.1002/art.34423

  • Capini, Christelle, Jaturanpinyo, Montree, Chang, Hsin-I, Mutalik, Srinivas, McNally, Alice, Street, Shayna, Steptoe, Raymond, O'Sullivan, Brendan, Davies, Nigel and Thomas, Ranjeny (2009). Antigen-specific suppression of inflammatory arthritis using liposomes. Journal of Immunology, 182 (6), 3556-3565. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.0802972

View all Publications

Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

View all Supervision

Available Projects

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is currently an incurable disease of ageing. Self-management - including good mental health, exercise, a healthy diet, and smoking cessation - complements medical management, and is recommended by United States and European consensus guidelines, to improve patient health outcomes and quality of life.

    Whereas no research has integrated all of these self-management components into one program, our RA-HEAL program is a six-month multidisciplinary, person-centred, blended-delivery program combining resilience, healthy lifestyle behaviours and change support for RA. It was developed with input from consumers, the state-based arthritis support group, and rheumatology and allied health clinicians and researchers. Pilot research demonstrated feasibility, acceptability and significant improvements in physical function, sedentary behaviour and diet quality. The RA-HEAL trial builds on this success to assess real-world effectiveness of RA-HEAL compared to best practice usual care in people newly diagnosed with RA. We are evaluating health-related quality of life (primary outcome), feasibility, safety, acceptability, wellbeing, lifestyle behaviours, disease control and value for money over 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. This research will provide evidence to support a nationally-scalable approach to enable RA self management. The impact goal of this research is to optimise quality of life and reduce the substantial individual and public health burden of RA associated with distress, poor physical function, long-term complications and healthcare costs.

View all Available Projects

Publications

Featured Publications

  • Zeng, Bijun, Middelberg, Anton P. J., Gemiarto, Adrian, MacDonald, Kelli, Baxter, Alan G, Talekar, Meghna, Moi, Davide, Tullett, Kirsteen M, Caminschi, Irina, Lahoud, Mireille H, Mazzieri, Roberta, Dolcetti, Riccardo and Thomas, Ranjeny (2018). Self-adjuvanting nanoemulsion targeting dendritic cell receptor Clec9A enables antigen-specific immunotherapy. The Journal of clinical investigation, 128 (5), 1971-1984. doi: 10.1172/JCI96791

  • Mehdi, Ahmed M., Hamilton-Williams, Emma E., Cristino, Alexandre, Ziegler, Anette, Bonifacio, Ezio, Le Cao, Kim-Anh, Harris, Mark and Thomas, Ranjeny (2018). A peripheral blood transcriptomic signature predicts autoantibody development in infants at risk of type 1 diabetes. JCI Insight, 3 (5). doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.98212

  • Scally, Stephen W, Law, Soi-Cheng, Ting, Yi Tian, Heemst, Jurgen Van, Sokolove, Jeremy, Deutsch, Aaron J, Bridie Clemens, E., Moustakas, Antonis K, Papadopoulos, George K, Woude, Diane Van Der, Smolik, Irene, Hitchon, Carol A, Robinson, David B, Ferucci, Elizabeth D, Bernstein, Charles N, Meng, Xiaobo, Anaparti, Vidyanand, Huizinga, Tom, Kedzierska, Katherine, Reid, Hugh H, Raychaudhuri, Soumya, Toes, René E, Rossjohn, Jamie, El-Gabalawy, Hani and Thomas, Ranjeny (2017). Molecular basis for increased susceptibility of Indigenous North Americans to seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 76 (11), 1915-1923. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-211300

  • Benham, Helen, Nel, Hendrik J., Law, Soi Cheng, Mehdi, Ahmed M., Street, Shayna, Ramnoruth, Nishta, Pahau, Helen, Lee, Bernett T., Ng, Jennifer, Brunck, Marion E. G., Hyde, Claire, Trouw, Leendert A., Dudek, Nadine L., Purcell, Anthony W., O'Sullivan, Brendan J., Connolly, John E., Paul, Sanjoy K., Le Cao, Kim-Anh and Thomas, Ranjeny (2015). Citrullinated peptide dendritic cell immunotherapy in HLA risk genotype–positive rheumatoid arthritis patients. Science Translational Medicine, 7 (290) 290ra87, 290ra87.1-290ra87.11. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaa9301

  • Baillet, Athan C., Rehaume, Linda, Benham, Helen, O'Meara, Connor P., Armitage, Charles W., Ruscher, Roland, Brizard, Geraldine, Harvie, Marina C. G., Velasco, Jared, Hansbro, Phillip, Forrester, John V., Degli-Esposti, Mariapia, Beagley, Kenneth W. and Thomas, Ranjeny (2015). High Chlamydia burden promotes TNF-dependent reactive arthritis in SKG mice. Arthritis and Rheumatology, 67 (6), 1535-1547. doi: 10.1002/art.39041

  • Rehaume, Linda, Mondot, Stanislas, Aguirre de Cárcer, Daniel, Velasco, Jared, Benham, Helen, Hasnain, Sumaira Zia, Bowman, Jaclyn, Ruutu, Merja, Hansbro, Philip M., McGuckin, Michael, Morrison, Mark and Thomas, Ranjeny (2014). ZAP-70 genotype disrupts the relationship between microbiota and host leading to spondyloarthritis and ileitis in SKG Mice. Arthritis and Rheumatology, 66 (10), 2780-2792. doi: 10.1002/art.38773

  • Benham, Helen, Rehaume, Linda M., Hasnain, Sumaira Z., Velasco, Jared, Baillet, Athan C., Ruutu, Merja, Kikly, Kristine, Wang, Ran, Tseng, Hsu-Wen, Thomas, Gethin P., Brown, Matthew A., Strutton, Geoffrey, McGuckin, Michael A. and Thomas, Ranjeny (2014). Interleukin-23 mediates the intestinal response to microbial beta-glucan and the development of spondyloarthritis pathology in SKG mice. Arthritis and Rheumatology, 66 (7), 1755-1767. doi: 10.1002/art.38638

  • Scally, Stephen W., Petersen, Jan, Law, Soi Cheng, Dudek, Nadine L., Nel, Hendrik J., Loh, Khai Lee, Wijeyewickrema, Lakshmi C., Eckle, Sidonia B.G., van Heemst, Jurgen, Pike, Robert N., McCluskey, James, Toes, Rene E., La Gruta, Nicole L., Purcell, Anthony W., Reid, Hugh H., Thomas, Ranjeny and Rossjohn, Jamie (2013). A molecular basis for the association of the HLA-DRB1 locus, citrullination, and rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 210 (12), 2569-2582. doi: 10.1084/jem.20131241

  • Ruutu, Merja, Thomas, Gethin, Steck, Roland, Degli-Esposti, Mariapia A., Zinkernagel, Martin S., Alexander, Kylie, Velasco, Jared, Strutton, Geoffrey, Tran, Ai, Benham, Helen, Rehaume, Linda, Wilson, Robert J., Kikly, Kristine, Davies, Julian, Pettit, Allison R., Brown, Matthew A., McGuckin, Michael A. and Thomas, Ranjeny (2012). β-glucan triggers spondylarthritis and Crohn's disease–like ileitis in SKG mice. Arthritis and Rheumatism, 64 (7), 2211-2222. doi: 10.1002/art.34423

  • Capini, Christelle, Jaturanpinyo, Montree, Chang, Hsin-I, Mutalik, Srinivas, McNally, Alice, Street, Shayna, Steptoe, Raymond, O'Sullivan, Brendan, Davies, Nigel and Thomas, Ranjeny (2009). Antigen-specific suppression of inflammatory arthritis using liposomes. Journal of Immunology, 182 (6), 3556-3565. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.0802972

Book Chapter

  • Law, Soi-Cheng, Wehr, Pascale, Purvis, Harriet and Thomas, Ranjeny (2020). Dendritic cells and T cells in rheumatoid arthritis. Oxford textbook of rheumatoid arthritis. (pp. 73-84) edited by David L. Scott, James Galloway, Andrew Cope, Arthur Pratt and Vibeke Strand. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/med/9780198831433.003.0008

  • Thomas, Ranjeny and Cope, Andrew P. (2013). Pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Oxford Textbook of Rheumatology. (pp. 839-848) edited by Richard A. Watts, Philip G. Conaghan, Christopher Denton, Helen Foster, John Isaacs and Ulf Müller-Ladner. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/med/9780199642489.001.0001

  • Khan, Shaukat, Ruutu, Merja, Thomas, Ranjeny and Bhardwaj, Nina (2012). Dendritic Cells. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology: Volume 1-2, Ninth Edition. (pp. 117-133) Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-1-4377-1738-9.00009-8

  • Pai, Saparna and Thomas, Ranjeny (2009). Dendritic Cells. Rheumatoid Arthritis. (pp. 116-123) Elsevier Inc.. doi: 10.1016/B978-032305475-1.50021-5

  • Lutzky, Viviana and Thomas, Ranjeny (2007). Dendritic cells. Contemporary Targeted therapies in Rheumatology. (pp. 63-78) edited by Josef F. Smolen and Peter E. Lipsky. UK: Informa Healthcare.

  • Pettit, Allison R., Cavanagh, Lois, Boyce, Amanda, Padmanabha, Jagadish, Peng, Judy and Thomas, Ranjeny. (2007). Identification and isolation of synovial dendritic cells. Arthritis Research Methods and Protocols. (pp. 165-181) edited by Andrew P. Cope. Totowa, N.J., U.S.A.: Humana Press Inc.

  • Thomas, Ranjeny, Thompson, Angus G., Martin, Ela and O'Sullivan, Brendan. J. (2003). Dendritic Cells. Targeted Therapies in Rheumatology. (pp. 61-81) edited by Josef S. Smolen and Peter E. Lipsky. London, UK: Martin Duntiz.

  • Thomas, R. (2001). Dendritic Cells and Autoimmunity. Dendritic Cells. (pp. 459-471) edited by M.T. Lotze and A.W. Thomason. United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/b978-012455851-9/50072-9

  • Pettit, A. R., Cavanagh, L. L. and Thomas, R. (2001). Identification and isolation of synovial dendritic cells. Dendritic Cell Protocols. (pp. 175-187) edited by S. P. Robinson and A. J. Stagg. Totowa USA: Humana Press. doi: 10.1385/1-59259-150-7:175

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is currently an incurable disease of ageing. Self-management - including good mental health, exercise, a healthy diet, and smoking cessation - complements medical management, and is recommended by United States and European consensus guidelines, to improve patient health outcomes and quality of life.

    Whereas no research has integrated all of these self-management components into one program, our RA-HEAL program is a six-month multidisciplinary, person-centred, blended-delivery program combining resilience, healthy lifestyle behaviours and change support for RA. It was developed with input from consumers, the state-based arthritis support group, and rheumatology and allied health clinicians and researchers. Pilot research demonstrated feasibility, acceptability and significant improvements in physical function, sedentary behaviour and diet quality. The RA-HEAL trial builds on this success to assess real-world effectiveness of RA-HEAL compared to best practice usual care in people newly diagnosed with RA. We are evaluating health-related quality of life (primary outcome), feasibility, safety, acceptability, wellbeing, lifestyle behaviours, disease control and value for money over 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. This research will provide evidence to support a nationally-scalable approach to enable RA self management. The impact goal of this research is to optimise quality of life and reduce the substantial individual and public health burden of RA associated with distress, poor physical function, long-term complications and healthcare costs.