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Immunopathology Section

Mission

Research in the Immunopathology Section focuses on the biological mediators and signal transduction pathways involved in the modulation of human monocyte functions that may contribute to the immunopathology associated with various inflammatory lesions. Connective tissue destruction is associated with many diseases in which the monocyte/macrophage is a prominent cell. Examples of these chronic inflammatory lesions include periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis where destruction of connective tissue leads to loss of structural integrity and atherosclerosis where degradation of connective tissue in vulnerable plaques leads to ischemic events. Since matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) are believed to play a major role in the destruction and remodeling of connective tissue, a major emphasis has been placed on how these enzymes and inhibitors are regulated in the human monocyte.

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