DF/HCC Program Affiliation

Cancer Immunology, Co-Leader

DF/HCC Associations

Member, Center Scientific Council

Research Abstract

T cell recognition of self-antigens is a key step in the development of human autoimmune diseases. Susceptibility to a variety of human autoimmune diseases is associated with particular alleles of MHC class II genes. The goal of the research is to define the mechanisms by which MHC genes confer susceptibility to autoimmunity. An important aspect is the characterization of self-peptides that are presented by these MHC molecules and recognized by T cells in autoimmune diseases. An understanding of the mechanisms that result in spontaneous T cell responses to self-antigens in autoimmunity may have implications for the identification of appropriate target antigens for cancer immunotherapy.

Publications

• O'Connor KC, McLaughlin KA, De Jager PL, Chitnis T, Bettelli E, Xu C, Robinson WH, Cherry SV, Bar-Or A, Banwell B, Fukaura H, Fukazawa T, Tenembaum S, Wong SJ, Tavakoli NP, Idrissova Z, Viglietta V, Rostasy K, Pohl D, Dale RC, Freedman M, Steinman L, Buck
  17237795
• Smith KJ, Pyrdol J, Gauthier L, Wiley DC, Wucherpfennig KW.Crystal structure of HLA-DR2 (DRA*0101, DRB1*1501) complexed with a peptide from human myelin basic protein.J Exp Med 1998 Oct 19;188(8):1511-20.
  9782128