GROUP BACKGROUND
The Immunocompatibility Group grew out of research examining how nanomedicines and advanced drug-delivery systems interact with blood, immune cells, and human tissues. Its early work combined pharmacology, immunology and pharmaceutical science to understand how the properties of complex medicines influence their safety, disposition and biological performance. This included research supporting the clinical translation of solid drug nanoparticles and developing methods to assess immune responses to advanced therapeutics.
These studies showed that conventional immunotoxicity testing provided only part of the answer. An immune response is not always harmful. It may limit treatment, support therapeutic activity or alter how a medicine behaves in different patient groups. This led the group to develop immunocompatibility as a broader approach focused on whether an immune response is appropriate for the medicine, its intended function, and the person receiving it.
The group studies nanomedicines, lipid nanoparticles, biologics, bacteriophage, viral vectors, biomaterials, cell and gene therapies, and long-acting formulations. Its work covers complement activation, inflammasomes, innate immune sensing, immunometabolism, trained immunity and interactions between innate and adaptive responses. Primary human cells, advanced in vitro models and mechanistic assays are used to identify the biological processes that determine treatment response.
A major current focus is programmable innate immunity. The group aims to predict immune response from a person’s starting biological state and identify ways to reprogramme harmful or non-responsive states. This work supports new approaches to infection resilience, vaccination, cancer therapy and the treatment of inflammatory disease.
The group works across major programmes in engineering biology, biomanufacturing, pandemic preparedness and advanced therapeutics. Its research is closely connected to the Liverpool Nanotherapeutics Hub, the Intracellular Drug Delivery Centre, and national and international initiatives developing better methods for evaluating and translating complex medicines.
PERSONAL BACKGROUND
Professor Neill Liptrott is Chair of Pharmacology and Immunocompatibility at the University of Liverpool, where he leads the Immunocompatibility Group. He is also the University’s Engineering Biology Lead and Research and Impact Co-Lead for the Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology.
His research examines the interface between complex medicines, biomaterials and the immune system. He studies the immunocompatibility of nanomedicines, lipid nanoparticles, biologics, viral vectors, cell and gene therapies, and long-acting formulations. His work focuses on innate immunity, including complement activation, inflammasomes, immunometabolism and trained immunity. A significant part of his research explores programmable immunity, seeking to predict and deliberately shape innate immune states to improve treatment response, infection resilience and therapeutic performance.
Through his engineering biology role, Neill works across the University and with external partners to connect biological design with biomanufacturing, immune compatibility, analytical characterisation and clinical translation. His aim is to ensure engineered biological systems and products are designed with safety, function, and human variability in mind from the outset.
Neill chairs the European Technology Platform on Nanomedicine Safety and Characterisation Working Group and is Vice Chair of the British Toxicology Society Scientific Subcommittee. He also contributes to national and international programmes spanning biomanufacturing, advanced therapeutics, long-acting medicines and pandemic preparedness.
Alongside his research and leadership roles, Neill founded and directs Liverpool’s MSc in Pharmacology and Toxicology. He is committed to developing researchers who can work across disciplinary boundaries and translate scientific understanding into safer and more effective medicines.
