We currently work on interactions of surfactant proteins with the immune system. In addition to some work with macrophages, DCs and neutrophils, my research remains primarily focussed on sub-populations of T cells in the lung, spleen and lymph nodes in both in vivo and ex-vivo models of asthma, atopic allergy and inflammation. I consider this to be a natural "real world" application of my graduate school thesis, which dealt with T cell activation and costimulation.

Previous post-doctoral work with polycystin-1 (PC1), the protein affected in most cases of ADPKD, implicated it in a novel pathway that can control the transduction of mechanical signals at the cell surface to gene expression. PC1 binds to the gene expression regulators STAT6 and P100. A halt in renal fluid flow results in cleavage of PC1 and movement of STAT6 to the nucleus. Cyst-lining epithelial cells in ADPKD patients exhibit highly elevated levels of nuclear STAT6 and the cleaved PC1 tail, which suggests that this novel pathway is inappropriately activated. STAT6, P100 and other proteins that regulate this pathway may therefore be promising new targets for therapeutic intervention. The role of STAT6 with respect to cell growth, signaling and death are being studied in context of the PC1 tail in renal epithelial cells. To test the hypothesis that STAT6 function is a requirement for cyst formation, STAT6 deficient mice are being crossed with PKD models and parameters of cyst formation and renal function investigated.

Antibodies, Antibody-based Protein Detection, Cell / Tissue Culture, Cell Signaling Assays, Centrifugation, Cloning, DNA Isolation & Purification, Electrophoresis, Filtration, Flow Cytometry, Hybridoma, Immunoassays, Mass Spectroscopy, Microbiological Cultures, PCR / RT-PCR, Phosphorylation Analysis, Plasmid Isolation & Purification, Protein Purification & Separation, Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Analysis, Protein-Protein Interaction Analysis, Real Time PCR / RT-PCR, Recombinant Protein Expression & Purification, RNA Isolation & Purification, RNAi & Gene Silencing Assays, Spectroscopy, Fluorescence, Spectroscopy, UV-VIS, Transduction, Transfection, Transformation

Centrifuge, Chromatography, HPLC, Chromatography, Low Pressure HPLC, Confocal Microscope, Data Acquisition Equipment, Electrophoresis Equipment, Electroporator, Filtration Systems, Fluorescence Spectrophotometers, Imaging Systems, Immunoassay Equipment, Incubators, Microplate Reader, Multi-Channel Pipettors, Optical Microscope, Orbital Shakers, PCR Kits, PCR Thermocycler, Pipettors, RNA Interference / Gene Silencing Kits, UV/VIS Spectrophotometers, Vacuum Equipment, Vortexing Equipment, Water Purification Systems

Basic Research, Cancer, Cell Biology, Data Analysis Tools, Gene Expression Analysis, Immunology, Medicine