Beta-catenin signaling in T cell development, function a

Aging

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Abstract

Research Interests: The focus of my research is lymphocyte development, function & aging. The immune system is seriously impaired under various clinical situations and in older people. The long-term goal of our research is to define molecular interactions that are significant in the reconstitution of a functional immune system in adult mouse. T cell development in the thymus is a direct consequence of stage specific signal transduction and gene expression, resulting from reciprocal cell-cell interactions and locally produced cytokines and hormones. Cues from stromal cells modulate an exquisite balance of proliferation, quiescence, cell-death and cell-fate decisions in developing thymocytes. In turn, thymocytes modulate the maturation of thymic epithelial cells. Similarly, interactions between stromal cells and their products regulate T cell activation during immune response and inflammation. Recently, we have analyzed signals mediated by p38 MAP kinase, NF-kB and c-myc in the survival and differentiation of T cells in the thymus. Currently, our major projects are focused on dissecting the mechanism by which the Wnt-beta-catenin signaling pathway interacts with signals from the pre T cell receptor (TCR) and TCR as well as Notch 1 to modulate T cell development, thymic aging and T cell function.