Research Overview
Transplantation immunology and molecular biology
The overall objective of this project is to improve the outcome following organ transplantation. Towards this goal, we are exploring the cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of cyclosporine, a clinically useful immunosuppressant, and we are investigating the molecular mechanisms responsible for the rejection of organ allografts.
Cyclosporine: Mechanisms of immunosuppressive action. . The objective of this project is to identify the molecular and cellular basis for the immunoregulatory effects of cyclosporine, an undecapeptide of fungal origin that has had major impact on clinical organ transplantation. The hypothesis that normal human peripheral blood T-cells, distinguishable on the basis of expression of cell-surface antigens, and with distinct functional potential, have intrinsic differential sensitivity to the inhibitory activity of cyclosporine (CsA) is being tested in this study with complementary and mechanistically oriented in vivo and in vitro experiments.
Human renal allograft rejection: Molecular characterization. The objective of this project is to characterize the molecular effector mechanisms of human renal allograft rejection, the most frequent serious complication of renal transplantation. The hypothesis that the rejection of renal allografts can be anticipated, confirmed, and their reversibility or recurrence prognosticated by quantitative mRNA phenotyping and measurement of cytokines are being explored in this study.
