Immunopathogenesis of Allergic Inflammation
An objective of the research program is to elucidate the cellular and molecular processes involved in allergic responses in the gastrointestinal tract and lung. The laboratory has developed unique antigen-induced and genetically engineered in vivo murine, and translational human ex vivo model systems, enabling the identification of key checkpoints that regulate type 2 immunity. Findings from this research have identified and elucidated the role of IL-5, the eotaxin subfamily of chemokines, IL-13, miR-21, proteases (e.g., calpain 14), anti-proteases (e.g., SPINK7) and their related signaling pathways. This work has contributed to the development of new therapeutic strategies and drugs, such as a new class of drugs based on targeting eosinophils (e.g., anti–IL-5 humanized antibodies), which are now FDA approved for clinical usage.
Anti-interleukin 5 Therapy Development
Select Related Publications
- TSLP shapes the pathogenic responses of memory CD4+ T cells in eosinophilic esophagitis (free article)
- One-food versus six-food elimination diet therapy for the treatment of eosinophilic oesophagitis: a multicentre, randomised, open-label trial
- Environmental allergens trigger type 2 inflammation through ripoptosome activation
- Functional role of kallikrein 5 and proteinase-activated receptor 2 in eosinophilic esophagitis
- Genome-wide association analysis of eosinophilic esophagitis provides insight into the tissue specificity of this allergic disease
Current Projects
- Role of epithelial innate pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-33 and TSLP)
- Epithelial cell responses in allergic inflammation
- Epithelial cell lineages and stem cells in esophagus
- Human esophageal epithelial progenitors
- RNA-Seq of esophageal cells, including CD3+ T cells, mast cells, eosinophils and epithelial cells
- Characterization of intraepithelial lymphocytes
- Characterization of esophageal mast cells and eosinophils
- Role of minichromosomal complex (MCM) inhibitors in esophageal epithelial cells
- Role of SPINK proteins and other protease inhibitors in allergic responses
