Irwin McLean
{{short description|Emeritus Professor of Genetic Medicine}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox scientist
| honorific_prefix = Professor
| name = Irwin McLean
| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|FRS|FRSE|FMedSci}}
| birth_name = William Henry Irwin McLean
| image = Professor_Irwin_McLean_FMedSci_FRS.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1963|01|09}}{{Who's Who | title=McLEAN, Prof. (William Henry) Irwin | id = U267948 | volume = 2015 | edition = online Oxford University Press}}
| birth_place = Ballymoney, County Antrim
| other_names =
| residence =
| citizenship =
| nationality =
| fields = {{Plainlist|
- Inherited skin diseases
- Atopic eczema
- Keratinocyte biology
- Drug discovery
- Gene silencing therapy
- Filaggrin
- Keratins
- Dermatology}}
| workplaces = University of Dundee
| patrons =
| alma_mater = Queen's University of Belfast (BSc, PhD, DSc)
| thesis_title = Electrophoretic and immunological analysis of proteins in the muscular dystrophies
| thesis_url = http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.335992
| thesis_year = 1988
| doctoral_advisor =
| academic_advisors =
| doctoral_students =
| notable_students =
| known_for =
| influences =
| influenced =
| awards = {{Plainlist|
- DSc
- FRS (2014){{cite web |url=https://royalsociety.org/people/fellowship/2014/irwin-mclean/ |title = Professor Irwin McLean FMedSci FRS |publisher=The Royal Society |location=London}}
- FRSE
- FMedSci (2009)[http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/fellows/fellows-directory/ordinary-fellows/professor-irwin-mclean/ Professor Irwin McLean FRS FRSE FMedSci], The Academy of Medical Sciences}}
| website = {{URL|lifesci.dundee.ac.uk/people/irwin-mclean}}
| footnotes =
| spouse =
| children =
}}William Henry Irwin McLean (born 1963) is an Irish geneticist who is emeritus professor of genetic medicine, at the School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee.{{Scopus|id= 7101988049}}{{AcademicSearch|10973313}}{{Cite journal
| pmid = 16550169
| year = 2006
| last1 = Palmer
| first1 = C. N.
| title = Common loss-of-function variants of the epidermal barrier protein filaggrin are a major predisposing factor for atopic dermatitis
| journal = Nature Genetics
| volume = 38
| issue = 4
| pages = 441–446
| last2 = Irvine
| first2 = A. D.
| last3 = Terron-Kwiatkowski
| first3 = A
| last4 = Zhao
| first4 = Y
| last5 = Liao
| first5 = H
| last6 = Lee
| first6 = S. P.
| last7 = Goudie
| first7 = D. R.
| last8 = Sandilands
| first8 = A
| last9 = Campbell
| first9 = L. E.
| last10 = Smith
| first10 = F. J.
| last11 = O'Regan
| first11 = G. M.
| last12 = Watson
| first12 = R. M.
| last13 = Cecil
| first13 = J. E.
| last14 = Bale
| first14 = S. J.
| last15 = Compton
| first15 = J. G.
| last16 = Digiovanna
| first16 = J. J.
| last17 = Fleckman
| first17 = P
| last18 = Lewis-Jones
| first18 = S
| last19 = Arseculeratne
| first19 = G
| last20 = Sergeant
| first20 = A
| last21 = Munro
| first21 = C. S.
| last22 = El Houate
| first22 = B
| last23 = McElreavey
| first23 = K
| last24 = Halkjaer
| first24 = L. B.
| last25 = Bisgaard
| first25 = H
| last26 = Mukhopadhyay
| first26 = S
| last27 = McLean
| first27 = W. H.
|author-link27= Irwin McLean
| doi = 10.1038/ng1767
| s2cid = 2500278
| pmid = 16444271
| year = 2006
| last1 = Smith
| first1 = F. J.
| title = Loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding filaggrin cause ichthyosis vulgaris
| journal = Nature Genetics
| volume = 38
| issue = 3
| pages = 337–342
| last2 = Irvine
| first2 = A. D.
| last3 = Terron-Kwiatkowski
| first3 = A
| last4 = Sandilands
| first4 = A
| last5 = Campbell
| first5 = L. E.
| last6 = Zhao
| first6 = Y
| last7 = Liao
| first7 = H
| last8 = Evans
| first8 = A. T.
| last9 = Goudie
| first9 = D. R.
| last10 = Lewis-Jones
| first10 = S
| last11 = Arseculeratne
| first11 = G
| last12 = Munro
| first12 = C. S.
| last13 = Sergeant
| first13 = A
| last14 = O'Regan
| first14 = G
| last15 = Bale
| first15 = S. J.
| last16 = Compton
| first16 = J. G.
| last17 = Digiovanna
| first17 = J. J.
| last18 = Presland
| first18 = R. B.
| last19 = Fleckman
| first19 = P
| last20 = McLean
| first20 = W. H.
|author-link20= Irwin McLean
| doi = 10.1038/ng1743
| s2cid = 21948747
| pmid = 23154627
| year = 2012
| last1 = McLean
| first1 = W. H.
| title = Heritable filaggrin disorders: The paradigm of atopic dermatitis
| journal = The Journal of Investigative Dermatology
| volume = 132
| issue = E1
| pages = E20–E21
| last2 = Irvine
| first2 = A. D.
| doi = 10.1038/skinbio.2012.6
| doi-access = free
| hdl = 2262/74868
| hdl-access = free
| pmid = 16815158
| year = 2006
| last1 = Weidinger
| first1 = S
| title = Loss-of-function variations within the filaggrin gene predispose for atopic dermatitis with allergic sensitizations
| journal = The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
| volume = 118
| issue = 1
| pages = 214–219
| last2 = Illig
| first2 = T
| last3 = Baurecht
| first3 = H
| last4 = Irvine
| first4 = A. D.
| last5 = Rodriguez
| first5 = E
| last6 = Diaz-Lacava
| first6 = A
| last7 = Klopp
| first7 = N
| last8 = Wagenpfeil
| first8 = S
| last9 = Zhao
| first9 = Y
| last10 = Liao
| first10 = H
| last11 = Lee
| first11 = S. P.
| last12 = Palmer
| first12 = C. N.
| last13 = Jenneck
| first13 = C
| last14 = Maintz
| first14 = L
| last15 = Hagemann
| first15 = T
| last16 = Behrendt
| first16 = H
| last17 = Ring
| first17 = J
| last18 = Nothen
| first18 = M. M.
| last19 = McLean
| first19 = W. H.
| last20 = Novak
| first20 = N
| doi = 10.1016/j.jaci.2006.05.004
Education
McLean was educated at Queen's University of Belfast where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree with honours in microbiology in 1985 followed by a PhD in 1988 for electrophoretic and immunological analysis of proteins involved in muscular dystrophy.{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |first=William Henry Irwin|last=McLean |title=Electrophoretic and immunological analysis of proteins in the muscular dystrophies |publisher=Queen's University of Belfast |year=1988 |url=http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.335992|author-link=Irwin McLean}}
Research
The McLean Lab investigates genetic disorders that affect the cells and tissues of the epithelium[http://www.lifesci.dundee.ac.uk/groups/irwin-mclean/ Research in the McLean Lab], University of Dundee{{Cite journal
| pmid = 17291859
| year = 2007
| last1 = Nomura
| first1 = T
| title = Unique mutations in the filaggrin gene in Japanese patients with ichthyosis vulgaris and atopic dermatitis
| journal = The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
| volume = 119
| issue = 2
| pages = 434–440
| last2 = Sandilands
| first2 = A
| last3 = Akiyama
| first3 = M
| last4 = Liao
| first4 = H
| last5 = Evans
| first5 = A. T.
| last6 = Sakai
| first6 = K
| last7 = Ota
| first7 = M
| last8 = Sugiura
| first8 = H
| last9 = Yamamoto
| first9 = K
| last10 = Sato
| first10 = H
| last11 = Palmer
| first11 = C. N.
| last12 = Smith
| first12 = F. J.
| last13 = McLean
| first13 = W. H.
| last14 = Shimizu
| first14 = H
| doi = 10.1016/j.jaci.2006.12.646
| pmid = 18307574
| year = 2008
| last1 = Basu
| first1 = K
| title = Filaggrin null mutations are associated with increased asthma exacerbations in children and young adults
| journal = Allergy
| volume = 63
| issue = 9
| pages = 1211–1217
| last2 = Palmer
| first2 = C. N.
| last3 = Lipworth
| first3 = B. J.
| last4 = Irwin Mclean
| first4 = W. H.
|author-link4= Irwin McLean
| last5 = Terron-Kwiatkowski
| first5 = A
| last6 = Zhao
| first6 = Y
| last7 = Liao
| first7 = H
| last8 = Smith
| first8 = F. J.
| last9 = Mitra
| first9 = A
| last10 = Mukhopadhyay
| first10 = S
| doi = 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01660.x
| s2cid = 8105444
| url = http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/2445/1/Allergy.pdf
| pmid = 17531295
| year = 2007
| last1 = Palmer
| first1 = C. N.
| title = Filaggrin null mutations are associated with increased asthma severity in children and young adults
| journal = The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
| volume = 120
| issue = 1
| pages = 64–68
| last2 = Ismail
| first2 = T
| last3 = Lee
| first3 = S. P.
| last4 = Terron-Kwiatkowski
| first4 = A
| last5 = Zhao
| first5 = Y
| last6 = Liao
| first6 = H
| last7 = Smith
| first7 = F. J.
| last8 = McLean
| first8 = W. H.
| last9 = Mukhopadhyay
| first9 = S
| doi = 10.1016/j.jaci.2007.04.001
| doi-access = free
| pmid = 18325573
| year = 2008
| last1 = Henderson
| first1 = J
| title = The burden of disease associated with filaggrin mutations: A population-based, longitudinal birth cohort study
| journal = The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
| volume = 121
| issue = 4
| pages = 872–877.e9
| last2 = Northstone
| first2 = K
| last3 = Lee
| first3 = S. P.
| last4 = Liao
| first4 = H
| last5 = Zhao
| first5 = Y
| last6 = Pembrey
| first6 = M
| last7 = Mukhopadhyay
| first7 = S
| last8 = Smith
| first8 = G. D.
| last9 = Palmer
| first9 = C. N.
| last10 = McLean
| first10 = W. H.
| last11 = Irvine
| first11 = A. D.
| doi = 10.1016/j.jaci.2008.01.026
| doi-access = free
| pmid = 18578563
| pmc = 2504043
| year = 2008
| last1 = Bisgaard
| first1 = H
| title = Gene-environment interaction in the onset of eczema in infancy: Filaggrin loss-of-function mutations enhanced by neonatal cat exposure
| journal = PLOS Medicine
| volume = 5
| issue = 6
| page = e131
| last2 = Simpson
| first2 = A
| last3 = Palmer
| first3 = C. N.
| last4 = Bønnelykke
| first4 = K
| last5 = McLean
| first5 = I
| last6 = Mukhopadhyay
| first6 = S
| last7 = Pipper
| first7 = C. B.
| last8 = Halkjaer
| first8 = L. B.
| last9 = Lipworth
| first9 = B
| last10 = Hankinson
| first10 = J
| last11 = Woodcock
| first11 = A
| last12 = Custovic
| first12 = A
| doi = 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050131
| doi-access = free
}} and is funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC)[http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/person/ACD6437C-C203-4D72-B0AF-9A502AB5C3BF UK Government research grants awarded to Irwin McLean] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825150930/http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/person/ACD6437C-C203-4D72-B0AF-9A502AB5C3BF |date=25 August 2017 }}, via Research Councils UK and the Wellcome Trust.{{Cite web |url=http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Biomedical-science/Funded-projects/Awards-made/Strategic-Awards/index.htm/ |title=Wellcome Trust strategic awards 2013 |access-date=17 August 2014 |archive-date=26 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426035213/http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Biomedical-science/Funded-projects/Awards-made/Strategic-Awards/index.htm |url-status=dead }}
Awards and honours
McLean was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 2014. His nomination reads: {{centred pull quote|Irwin McLean is distinguished his major contributions to our understanding of the genetic basis of heritable skin diseases. Of particular note is his discovery that null mutations in filaggrin, which are carried by 10% of the population, not only cause the dry, flaky skin condition ichthyosis vulgaris but also strongly predispose individuals to the most common skin disorder, atopic eczema, and the associated phenotypes of atopic asthma, allergy and hay fever. This research has revolutionised the field by showing that a skin barrier defect, rather than an immunological defect, is the primary cause of eczema and focused attention on improving barrier function to treat these common diseases. He was also the first to map and identify the causative genes for a number of monogenic cell fragility disorders affecting the epidermis, its appendages and other epithelial tissues, including pachyonychia congenita, muscular dystrophy with epidermolysis bullosa simplex and Meesmann corneal dystrophy. His work has established that a primary function of the intermediate filament cytoskeleton, its attachment structures and modifying proteins is to provide epithelial tissues with mechanical strength.}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{FRS 2014}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLean, Irwin}}
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society
Category:Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences (United Kingdom)
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Category:Geneticists from Northern Ireland
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Biology
Category:People from Ballymoney
Category:Scientists from County Antrim