Maria Groves
Maria is responsible for the innovative Cancer Research UK (CRUK) – AstraZeneca (AZ) Antibody Alliance Laboratory. She manages a multidisciplinary team of 14 scientists from both CRUK and AstraZeneca at this CRUK-funded facility.
The laboratory utilises AstraZeneca’s core Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering technologies and capabilities to discover candidate drugs for future evaluation in the treatment of cancer. This innovative Alliance has access to the CRUK oncology Principal Investigator (PI) network, which represents over 4000 researchers throughout the UK. Maria leads the Alliance team to work with selected PIs on a current portfolio of 8 projects. In 2018, the Alliance Lab was independently reviewed and described as having ‘world class’ antibody discovery capabilities.
Maria is also an industry recognised expert and leader in the field of ribosome display and protein engineering. She joined Cambridge Antibody Technology in 2000 and established herself as an externally recognised scientific expert in ribosome display.
As a project leader, her biggest success to date has been leading the R&D phase of MEDI1814 – an antibody therapeutic being explored for the potential treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease which is now in Phase 1 clinical trials.
Our collaboration with CRUK for the Antibody Alliance Laboratory allows us to accelerate the translation of novel science into antibodies and potential therapeutics. We're able to partner efficiently and directly with scientists to identify novel targets - ultimately with the aim of helping cancer patients.
CURRENT ROLE
MEDI1814 FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
CONFERENCE PRESENTATION
Featured publications
Antibodies binding the head domain of P2X4 inhibit channel function and reverse neuropathic pain
Williams WA, Linley JE, Jones CA et al. 2019. PAIN: 160 (9): 1989–2003
Anti‐PrPC antibody rescues cognition and synapses in transgenic alzheimer mice
Cox TO, Gunther EC, Brody AH et al. 2019. Anals of Clinical and Translational Neurology: 6(3): , 554-574
Generation of potent mouse monoclonal antibodies to self-proteins using T-cell epitope “tags”
Percival-Alwyn JL, England E, Kemp B, et al. mAbs, 2015. 7(1): p. 129-137.
Antibody VH and VL recombination using phage and ribosome display technologies reveals distinct structural routes to affinity improvements with VH-VL interface residues providing important structural diversity
Groves MA, Amanuel L, Campbell JI, et al. mAbs, 2013. vol 6 (1): p. 61-68.
An efficient and easily accessible eukaryotic ribosome display technology.
Douthwaite JA, Groves MA and Dufner P. Protein Eng. Des Sel, 2006. 19(2): p. 85-90
Affinity Maturation of Phage Display Antibody Populations Using Ribosome Display
Groves, M, Lane S, Douthwaite J et al. J Immunol. Methods, 2006. 313(1-2): p. 129-39.
From rodent reagents to human therapeutics using antibody guided selection
Osbourn, J, Groves M, and Vaughan T. Methods, 2005. 36(1): p. 61-8.
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