Research interest

• Transplant Immunology
• Memory T Cells
• T Cell Costimulation

Current program

• Function of memory CD4 T cells in allograft rejection
• Controlling memory CD4 T cells in organ transplant recipients
• T cell recruitment into transplanted organ
• Alternative costimulatory pathways in allograft rejection

Brief Description

Immunologic memory is the ability of the immune system to respond rapidly and more efficiently to new attacks by previously encountered pathogens. Although memory T cells are essential for host protection against infections, they can be harmful to life-saving organ transplants.

Studies in laboratory animals and humans confirm that the high frequency of donor-reactive memory T cells prior to transplantation correlates with poor allograft outcome. The focus of our group is immunobiology of memory CD4 T cells in general and the functions of donor-reactive memory CD4 T cells during allograft rejection in particular.

We have demonstrated that memory CD4 T cells contribute to allograft rejection through multiple pathways. Such a redundancy of effector mechanisms makes controlling memory T cells in allograft recipients a very challenging problem. Indeed, alloreactive memory T cells appear to be resistant to graft-prolonging strategies, including lymphoablation, immunosuppressive drugs and conventional co-stimulatory blockade.

Our ultimate goal is to better understand the functions of graft-reactive memory CD4 T cells in the context of transplantation. This information should enable us to target various aspects of memory T-cell response and promote rational development of combinatorial therapies for sensitized transplant recipients.