photo of dr scott wildmanDr Scott S. P. Wildman

BSc, PhD, FASN, FHEA

Senior Lecturer in Biological Sciences

Phone:+44 (0)1634 20 2953
Email: s.s.wildman@kent.ac.uk

Scott graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology from The University of Sunderland in 1995 and was awarded a PhD in Neuroscience in 1999 from UCL (Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology; supervised by Brian King and Geoffrey Burnstock).

Following his PhD, he was a post-doctoral researcher in the laboratory of Nick Franks at Imperial College London, then the laboratories of Robert Unwin at UCL and Mike Sutters at Johns Hopkins University (Maryland, USA). In 2004, Scott was awarded a 3-year British Heart Foundation Research Fellowship to conduct independent research in the Department of Physiology, UCL.

Subsequently Scott was appointed as a Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer, in Physiology and Pharmacology at the Royal Veterinary College (2007-2011) and a Senior Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences at London Metropolitan University (2011).  Scott joined Medway School of Pharmacy (MSoP) as a Senior Lecturer in Biological Sciences in January 2012.  He also holds an Honorary Senior Lectureship in the UCL Division of Medicine Centre for Nephrology, UCL (awarded 2007).

Throughout his career he has notably been rewarded with a number of high impact-factor peer-reviewed research publications, invitations to lecture in the UK and abroad, requests for review articles, Associate Editor status on the Nephron Physiology Journal, awards of Renal Association Walls and Lockwood Prizes, and the award of The American Physiological Society Renal Research Recognition Award 2007.

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My research focus is urinary system physiology (i. the nature and regulation of epithelial transport processes along the nephron, which has been extended to include ii. epithelial cell function in the urinary bladder) a poorly represented area of basic and applied research, especially in the UK.

i. My main research interest has been, and continues to be, renal epithelial cell transport function, its regulation and relationship to renal tubular cell disorders. My research is basic, yet closely linked to clinical research, one informing the other. My early work was on the regulation of tubular transport mechanisms by paracrine and autocrine factors and how they affect electrolyte and fluid transport. I investigated the possible sources, actions and roles of extracellular ATP, and as a result I have played a significant part in defining the renal ATP-activated P2 receptor system in normal physiology and pathophysiology. I went on to specifically investigate modulation of renal function from the tubule lumen, believing that renal tubular fluid composition, made up of filtered or secreted factors, may regulate or disturb tubular transport function. To do so I developed an existing technique for making electrophysiological recordings from the apical membrane of tubular cells in situ (i.e. the isolated split-open renal tubule technique); to the best of our knowledge we are currently the only research group in the UK performing this technique, and one of a few worldwide. Using this technique I identified a luminal sodium sensor in the renal collecting duct that may locally regulate sodium reabsorption and therefore arterial blood pressure. Consequently, we are now investigating the physiological significance of the sensor using knock-out mouse models; and have increased our repertoire of experimental techniques to include recording from isolated perfused renal tubules.

ii. More recently I have extended my research interests into bladder epithelial cell function, its regulation and relationship to bladder disorders, including the overactive bladder (OAB). We are investigating the effects of bacterial colonization of urothelial cells on paracrine and autocrine nucleotide signalling; which is especially prevalent in renal transplant recipients and may determine graft survival.

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Research papers (Scientific)

  • Crawford C, Kennedy-Lydon TM, Callaghan H, Sprott C, Simmons RL, Sawbridge L, Syme HM, Unwin RJ, Wildman SSP*, Peppiatt-Wildman CM (2011). Extracellular nucleotides affect pericyte-mediated regulation of rat in situ vasa recta diameter. Acta Physiol 202: 241-251. *joint senior author

  • Cesaro A, Brest P, Hofman V, Hebuterne X, Wildman S, Ferrua B, Marchetti S, Doglio A, Vouret-Craviari V, Galland F, Naquet P, Mograbi B, Unwin R, Hofman P (2010).  Amplification loop of the inflammatory process is induced by P2X7R activation in intestinal epithelial cells in response to neutrophil transepithelial migration. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 299: G32-42.

  • Wildman SSP, Kang ES-K, King BF (2009). ENaC, renal sodium excretion and extracellular ATP. Purinergic Signalling 5: 481-489.

  • Wildman SSP, Boone M, Peppiatt-Wildman CM, Contreras-Sanz A, King BF, Shirley DG, Deen PMT, Unwin RJ (2009). Nucleotides downregulate aquaporin 2 via activation of apical P2 receptors. J Am Soc Nephrol 20: 1480-1490.

  • Wildman SS, King BF (2008). P2X receptors: epithelial ion channels and regulators of salt and water transport. Nephron Physiol 108: 60-67.

  • Wildman SS, Marks J, Turner CM, Yew-Booth L, Peppiatt-Wildman CM, King BF, Shirley DG, Wang W, Unwin RJ (2008). Sodium-dependent regulation of renal amiloride-sensitive currents by apical P2 receptors. J Am Soc Nephrol 19: 731-742.

    • Pre 2008

    • Greenwood D, Jagger D J, Huang LC, Hoya N, Thorne PR, Wildman SS, King BF, Pak K, Ryan AF, Housley GD (2007). P2X2/3 receptor signaling inhibits BDNF-mediated spiral ganglion neuron development in the neonatal rat cochlea. Development 134: 1407-1417.

    • Wildman SS, Marks J, Churchill LJ, Peppiatt CM, Chraibi A, Shirley DG, Horisberger JD, King BF, Unwin RJ (2005). Regulatory interdependence of cloned epithelial Na+ channels and P2X receptors. J Am Soc Nephrol 16: 2586-2597.

    • Plested AJ, Wildman SS, Lieb WR, Franks NP (2004). Determinants of the sensitivity of AMPA receptors to xenon. Anaesthesiology 100: 347-358.

    • Wildman SS, Unwin RJ, King BF (2003). Extended pharmacological profiles of rat P2Y2 and rat P2Y4 receptors and their sensitivity to extracellular H+ and Zn2+ ions. Br J Pharmacol 140: 1177-1186.

    • Wildman SS, Hooper KM, Turner CM, Sham JS, Lakatta EG, King BF, Unwin RJ, Sutters M (2003). The isolated polycystin-1 cytoplasmic COOH terminus prolongs ATP-stimulated Cl- conductance through increased Ca2+ entry. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 285: F1168-1178.

    • Wildman SS, Brown SG, Rahman M, Noel CA, Churchill L, Burnstock G, Unwin RJ, King BF (2002). Sensitization by extracellular Ca2+ of rat P2X5 receptor and its pharmacological properties compared with rat P2X1. Mol Pharmacol 62: 957-966.
      King BF, Townsend-Nicholson A, Wildman SS, Thomas T, Spyer KM, Burnstock G (2000). Coexpression of rat P2X2 and P2X6 subunits in Xenopus oocytes. J Neurosci 20: 4871-4877.

    • Wildman SS, King BF, Burnstock G (1999). Modulation of ATP-responses at recombinant rP2X4 receptors by extracellular pH and zinc. Br J Pharmacol 126: 762-768.

    • Wildman SS, King BF, Burnstock G (1999). Modulatory activity of extracellular H+ and Zn2+ on ATP-responses at rP2X1 and rP2X3 receptors. Br J Pharmacol 128: 486-492.

    • Wildman SS, Brown SG, King BF, Burnstock G (1999). Selectivity of diadenosine polyphosphates for rat P2X receptor subunits. Eur J Pharmacol 367: 119-123.

    • Townsend-Nicholson A, King BF, Wildman SS, & Burnstock G (1999). Molecular cloning, functional characterization and possible cooperativity between the murine P2X4 and P2X4a receptors. Brain Res Mol Brain Res 64, 246-254.

    • Jacobson KA, Hoffmann C, Kim YC, Camaioni E, Nandanan E, Jang SY, Guo DP, Ji XD, Von Kugelgen I, Moro S, Ziganshin AU, Rychkov A, King BF, Brown SG, Wildman SS, Burnstock G, Boyer JL, Mohanram A, Harden TK (1999). Molecular recognition in P2 receptors: ligand development aided by molecular modeling and mutagenesis. Prog Brain Res 120: 119-132.

    • Kim KY, Camaioni E, Ziganshin AU, Ji X, King BF, Wildman SS et al (1998). Synthesis and structure relationships of pyridoxal-6-azoaryl-5'-phosphate and phosphonate derivatives as P2 receptor antagonists. Drug Dev Res 45: 52-66.

    • Wildman SS, King BF, Burnstock G (1998). Zn2+ modulation of ATP-responses at recombinant P2X2 receptors and its dependence on extracellular pH. Br J Pharmacol 123: 1214-1220.

    • King BF, Wildman SS, Townsend-Nicholson A, Burnstock G (1998). Antagonism of an adenosine/ATP receptor in follicular Xenopus oocytes. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 285: 1005-1011.

    • Jacobson KA, Kim YC, Wildman SS, Mohanram A, Harden TK, Boyer JL, King BF, Burnstock G (1998). A pyridoxine cyclic phosphate and its 6-azoaryl derivative selectively potentiate and antagonize activation of P2X1 receptors. J Med Chem 41: 2201-2206.

    • Bogdanov YD, Wildman SS, Clements MP, King BF, Burnstock G (1998). Molecular cloning and characterization of rat P2Y4 nucleotide receptor. Br J Pharmacol 124: 428-430.

    • Wildman SS, King BF, Burnstock G (1997). Potentiation of ATP-responses at a recombinant P2X2 receptor by neurotransmitters and related substances. Br J Pharmacol 120, 221-224.

    • King BF, Wildman SS, Ziganshina LE, Pintor J, Burnstock G (1997). Effects of extracellular pH on agonism and antagonism at a recombinant P2X2 receptor. Br J Pharmacol 121: 1445-1453.

Book Chapters

  • Shirley DG, Bailey MA, Wildman SSP, Tam FWK, Unwin RJ (2012). ‘Extracellular Nucleotides and Renal Function’. Fifth Edition of Seldin and Giebisch’s The Kidney: Physiology & Pathophysiology edited by Drs. Robert Alpern, Orson Moe, and Michael Caplan, published by Elsevier/Academic Press.