This developmental immunology portion of this program covers basic, applied, and clinical studies in developmental genetics and the ontogeny of the immune system. The long-term goal of this program is to translate the basic knowledge, insights, and understanding from supported studies into new approaches and strategies for the effective diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of developmental disorders of immunity. Researchers have already identified a wide variety of Primary Immunodeficiency (PI) diseases, each caused by defective or missing genes that may effect the normal development and function of T cells, B cells, or other components of the immune system. This program looks at both normal development of the immune system and abnormalities in developmental processes that result in these birth defects of the immune system.
The reproductive immunology portion of this program, projects investigate the immunobiology of the placenta and maternal-fetal interactions during pregnancy in humans and animal models. A number of these projects center on maternal-fetal tolerance by identifying the underlying immunologic and/or genetic mechanisms that protect the fetus from maternal rejection. In general, studies supported by this program focus on defining the proper immunologic milieu to allow for the successful completion of pregnancy
=
