Current Projects

• Role of alternatively activated macrophages in helminth infection 
  Submitted by Colby Zaph  (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada) 7/23/2010
  Alternatively activated macrophages are associated with Th2 cell responses and control of helminth infection. Mice deficient in the lipid phosphatase SHIP spontaneously develop AAMacs. Surprisingly, SHIP KO mice are susceptible to infection with the parasitic helminth Trichuris. To test whether AAMacs are responsible for this susceptibility, macrophages will be deleted using clodronate liposomes.
  More: http://www.brc.ubc.ca/drupal5/czaph



• Development of insulin resistance in mice during pregnancy 
  Submitted by Nitsa Mirsky  (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, United States) 7/23/2010
  We found an increase of insulin resistance in mice during pregnancy. We would like to explore the involvement of the immune system in general, and macrophages in particular, in this process. We plan to reduce the immune response in female mice in the beginning of their pregnancy, and to follow their glucose tolerance test in parallel to untreated pregnant mice.



• Role of macrophages in acute kidney injury 
  Submitted by Meghan Clements  (Genzyme, Framingham, MA, United States) 7/22/2010
  Liposome clodronate will be used to deplete macrophages in the different stanges of acute kidney injury including: initial injury, recovery and long term fibrosis.



• Zebrafish macrophage ablation 
  Submitted by Remi Gratacap  (University of Maine, Orono, United States) 7/22/2010
  We are planning to investigate the effect of macrophage ablation in zebrafish (Danio rerio) on the immune response.



• M1/M2 switch in vulnerable plaques 
  Submitted by Rob Krams  (Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom) 7/22/2010
  Macrophages play a key role in plaque progression. We are interested in preventing vulnerable plque formation by influencing the M1/M2 switch. To that end we test the hypothesis the monocyte subsets lead to macrophage subsets



• Investigating the role of macrophages in salamander regeneration 
  Submitted by James Godwin  (Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI),, vic, Australia) 7/17/2010
  The role of the immune system in salamander regeneration has been strongly implicated but not proved. We plan to investigate the role of macrophages in salamander regeneration.



• Macrophage Depletion 
  Submitted by Ajay Chawla  (Stanford Unviersity, Stanford, CALIFORNIA, United States) 7/16/2010
  in vivo depletion of macrophages.



• Macrophage in Chlamydia psittaci infection 
  Submitted by Isao Miyairi  (University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN, United States) 7/16/2010
  We seek to investigate the role of macrophages in a mouse model of systemic infection by Chlamydia psittaci.



• Motility regulation in breast cancer 
  Submitted by Antonia Patsialou  (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States) 7/15/2010
  We are studying in vivo motility of human breast cancer cells in the presence or absence of tumor-associated macrophages.



• Atherosclerosis Regression 
  Submitted by Saj Parathath  (NYU School of Medicine, New York, United States) 7/15/2010
  We are continuing to study atherosclerosis regression and fates of monocytes that migrate from plaques. (Liposomes were previous given to Jonathan Feig)