Our lab focuses upon the interactions between dendritic cells (DC) and T cells in disease states such as cancer and autoimmunity. DC represent a set bone marrow-derived antigen presenting cells that are uniquely capable of initiating or modulating T cell immunity. By studying how difference types of DC repond to different stimuli (e.g., viruses, bacteria), we hope to understand how DC can coordinate difference immune outcomes in response to different pathogens and disease states.

We also develop approaches to exploit DC as a platform for antigen-specific immune modulation in vivo in both animal models and humans. We have shown that antigen loaded DC can serve as therapeutic vaccine in cancer patients. Moreover, in vivo expansion of CD8 T cells identified with MHC/peptide tetramers following vaccination can correlate with tumor responses. By identifying the dynamics of antigen specific T cells and their capacity to develop immunologic memory, we hope to develop improved strategies in tumor immunotherapy. Future work will also focus upon understanding how altered peptide ligands or altered forms of self-antigens can enhance the immune response to tumor-associated self-antigens.