Dr Wendy-Anne Smith
BSc (Hons) PhD

Dr Wendy-Anne Smith heads the Molecular Cloning and Protein Enginerring team within the Molecular Biotechnology laboratory. She and her team are responsible for i) identifying and characterizing allergenic proteins from both invertebrate and mammalian sources, and ii) the synthesis and purification of a large number of recombinant invertebrate, mammalian, bacterial and viral proteins. These highly purified proteins are synthesised not only for use by others within the Division of Molecular Biotechnology, but also other local and international collaborators. Dr Smith’s team is particularly interested in using these well-defined highly purified proteins in their laboratory based research into allergy in the hope that one day these reagents may be proven to be suitable for use as both diagnostic tools and in desensitisation therapies for allergic individuals.  Dr Smith is a Senior Research Officer at the Institute and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer within the Centre for Child Health Research at the University of Western Australia.

PUBLICATIONS

Refereed Journal Articles
Boyer SJ, Colley SM, Lai MC, Swaminathan N, Smith W-A and Beilharz MW (1992).  High level expression of recombinant human and murine Interferon alpha.  J. Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents.  6 (3): 1-4.

Thomas WR., Chua K-Y. and Smith W-A.  (1992).  Molecular polymorphisms of house dust mite allergens.  Exp Appl Acarol.  16: 153-164.

Smith W-A, Chua K-Y, Kuo MC, Rogers BL and Thomas WR.  (1994).  Cloning and sequencing of the Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus group III allergen, Der p III.  Clin Exp Allergy.  24: 220-228.

Smith W. and Thomas WR. (1996).  Comparative analysis of the genes encoding the group 3 allergens from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae.  Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol.  109 (2): 133-140.

Smith W. and Thomas WR (1996).  Sequence polymorphisms of the Der p 3 house dust mite allergen.  Clin Exp Allergy.  26(5): 571-579.

Lynch NR, Puccio FS, Di Prisco MC, Escudero JE, Hazel LA, Smith W, Thomas WR.  (1998).  Association between allergic disease and reactivity to recombinant Der p 2 allergen of house-dust mite in a tropical environment. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 101:562-564.

Lynch NR, Puccio FS, Di Prisco MC, Di Prisco, MC, Lopez RI, Hazel LA, Smith W, Thomas WR. (1998). Reactivity to recombinant house dust mite allergens in asthma and rhinitis in a tropical situation. Allergy, 53:808-811.

Smith W, Mills KL, Hazell LA, Hart BJ, Thomas WR.  (1999) Molecular analysis of the group 1 and 2 allergens from the house dust mite, Euroglyphus maynei.  Int Arch Allergy Immunol, 118:15-22.

Mills KL, Hart BJ, Lynch NR, Thomas WR, Smith W.  (1999).  Molecular characterization of the group 4 house dust mite allergen from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and its amylase homologue from Euroglyphus maynei.  Int Arch Allergy Immunol, 120: 100-107.

Epton MJ, Dilworth RJ, Smith W, Hart BJ, Thomas WR.  (1999)  High molecular weight allergens of the house dust mite.  An apolipophorin like cDNA has sequence identity with the major M-177 allergen and the IgE binding peptide fragments Mag 1 and Mag 3.  Int Arch Allergy Immunol, 120: 185-191.

Smith AM, Benjamin DC, Hozic N, Derewenda U, Smith W, Thomas WR, Gafvelin G,. van Hage-Hamsten M, Chapman MD. (2001) The molecular basis of antigenic cross reactivity between the group 2 mite allergens. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 107: 977-984.

Smith W, Hales BJ, Jarnicki AG, Thomas WR (2001) Allergens of wild house dust mites: Environmental Der p 1 and Der p 2 sequence polymorphisms. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 107: 985-992

Hales BJ, Hazell LA, Smith W, Thomas WR.  (2002).  Genetic variation of Der p 2 allergens: effects on T-cell responses and IgE binding. Clin Exp Allergy. 32: 1589-1595.

Epton MJ, Smith W, Hales BJ, Hazell L, Thompson PJ, Thomas WR.  (2002).  Non-allergenic antigen in allergic sensitisation: responses to the mite ferritin heavy chain antigen by allergic and non-allergic subjects. Clin Exp Allergy. 32: 1341-1347.

Smith W, Butler AJL, Hazell LA, Nickells DM, Chapman MD, Pomés A, Thomas WR. (2004) Fel d 4, a cat lipocalin allergen. Clin Exp Allergy. 34: 1732-1738.

Francis J, Richmond PC, Pomat WS, Michael A,  Keno H, Phuanukoonnon S, Nelson JB, Whinnen M, Heinrich T,  Smith W, Prescott S, Holt PG, Siba PM, Lehmann D, van den Biggelaar AHJ (2009) Maternal antibodies to pnuemolysin, but not to Pneumococcal surface protein A, delay early Pneumococcal carriage in high risk Papua New Guinean infants. Clin Vac Immunol. 16(11): 1633-8

Thanyaratsrisakul S, Malainual N, Jirapongsananuruk O, Smith W., Thomas WR and Piboonpocanun S. (2010) Secondary structure and function analysis of recombinant Der p 2 expressed from host E. coli and P. pastoris.  Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 151(3): 190-8.

Smith W, O’ Neill SE, Chai TLY, Hazell LA, Piboonpocanum S and Thomas WR. IgE binding specificities of two newly identified cat allergens: Fel d 7, a Can f 1 homologue and Fel d 8, a latherin-like protein. (in preparation)

Review
Thomas WR, Smith W and Hales BJ. (1998) Allergens: sequence diversity and T-cell recognition.  Functional effects and role in allergic sensitisation. Allergy Clin Immunol Int. 115(1): 9-14.

Thomas WR, Smith W and Hales BJ.  (1998)  House dust mite allergen characterization: implications for T-cell responses and immunotherapy. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol, 115:15-23.

Thomas WR and Smith W. (1998).  House dust mite allergens (Review).  Allergy, 53:821-832.

Thomas WR and Smith W (1999)  Towards defining the full spectrum of important house dust mite allergens.  Clin Exp Allergy, 29: 1583-1587.

Thomas WR, Smith W, Hales BJ. (2000) Recombinant allergens for immunotherapy. Allergy Clin Immunol Int., 12: 222-225.

Thomas WR, Smith W. (2002) How good are carbohydrates as allergens. Clinical Exp Allergy 32: 658-661.

Thomas WR, Smith W, Hales BJ, Mills KL, O'Brien RM. (2002) Characterisation and immunobiology of house dust mite allergens. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 129: 1-18.

Thomas WR, Hales BJ, Smith W. (2003) Blomia tropicalis: more than just another source of allergens. Clin Exp Allergy 33:416-418.

Thomas WR, Smith W, Hales BJ. (2004) Recombinant allergens for analyzing T-cell responses. Methods. 32: 255-264.

Thomas WR, Smith W and Hales BJ. (2004) The allergenic specificities of the house dust mite. Chang Gung Medical Journal. 27: 563-569.

Thomas WR. Hales BJ, Smith WA. (2005) Structural biology of allergens. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports. 5: 388-393,

Hales B.J, Chu NR, Bosco A, Smith W, Heinrich TK, Thomas WR. (2006) Determinants of House Dust Mite Allergenicity. Allergy Clinical Immunol Int.18. 65-70.

Thomas WR, Heinrich TK, Smith W, Hales BJ. (2007) Pyroglyphid house dust mite allergens. Protein and Peptide Letters. 14: 943-953.

Thomas WR, Hales BJ and Smith W. (2010) House dust mite allergens in asthma and allergy. Trends in Molecular Medicine 613: 1-8.

 

Research Book Chapters
Thomas WR, Smith W, Heinrich TK, Hales BJ. "House dust mite allergy" in " Recent Advances in Aerobiology, Allergy and Immunology" Chapter 8 p 181-208. Ed. Viswanath P. Kurup  and H Vijay. Research Signpost Publishers. 2008

Thomas WR, Smith W, Heinrich TK and Hales BJ. Sensitisation to airborne allergens. What do we know and what are the problems in “Allergy Frontiers: From epigenetics to future perspectives”. Ed R Pawanka, ST Holgate and LJ Rosenwasser. Springer-Verlag Publishers.

Published conference papers
Chua K-Y, Dilworth RJ, Kehal PK, Smith WA, MaCreadie IG and Thomas WR.  Production of recombinant mite allergens.  In: “Molecular biology and immunology of allergens”.  p. 135-138.  Eds. D. Kraft and A. Sehon.  CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1993.

Thomas WR, Smith W, Hales BJ and Carter MD.  (1997). Functional effects of polymorphisms of house dust mite allergens.  Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol.  113:96-98.

Thomas WR, Smith W, Hales BJ, Carter MD, Bennett BJ, Shen H-D, Tovey ER and Chua K-Y.  Recombinant house dust mite allergens.  Recombinant house dust mite allergens.  In: “Regulatory control and standardisation of allergenic extracts.  Proceedings of the 8th Paul Ehrlich Symposium.  p. 87-96, Ed. Kurth R, Haustein D and Lin Y, Gustav Fischer Verlag, 1997.

Thomas WR, Hales BJ, Shen HD and Smith W.  (1999) Comparison of T-cell responses induced by major and less major allergens of the house dust mite.  Int Arch Allergy Immunol, 118:214-215.

Thomas WR, Hales BJ, Malinual N, Epton MJ, Smith W (2000) Hierarchy and heterogeneity of T-cell responses to purified and recombinant house dust mite allergens. Allergy Clin Immunol Int. Supplement 1. 80-82.

Mills K, Thomas W, Smith W (2000) Characterization of the group 4 allergens of the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Euroglyphus maynei. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Supplement 63. 55: 138.

Epton MJ, Dilworth RJ, Smith W, Thomas WR, (2001) Lipid binding apolipophorin contains the major IgE binding peptides Mag -1 and Mag -3. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 124. 57-60. 2001

Smith AM, Benjamin DC, Derewenda U, Smith WA, Thomas WR, Chapman MD. (2001) Sequence polymorphisms and antibody binding to mite group 2 allergens. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 124. 61-63.

Malainual M, Hales BJ, Epton MJ, Smith W and Thomas WR. T-cell responses to the allergens of the house dust mite: allergen-specific cytokine patterns. Allergy Clinical Immunol Int.  Supplement 1: 51-54, 2004.

Thomas WR, Hales BJ and Smith W. Genetically engineered vaccines. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports. 5(3): 197-203, 2005
 
O'Neil SE, Smith W, Heinrich TK, Hales BJ and Thomas WR. BASE a Major Cat Allergen.  J Allergy Clin Immunol 119: S157, 2007.

Hales BJ, Lee S, Pearce LJ, Smith W, Goldblatt J, Le Souëf PN and Laing IA: Antibody Responses to Rhinovirus VP1 in Asthmatic Children. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 123:726-726, 2009.

Hales BJ, Smith W, Holt PG, Kusel MMH, LeSouef PN, Thomas WR. Early aberrant antibody responses of aeroallergen sensitised people to subclinical bacterial infection. 27th Symposium Collegium International Allergologicum, Curacao. Allergy Clinical Immunol Int. Supplement in press 2009.