Current Projects

• 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)



• Characterization of initial phases of host clearance of pneumococcal infection 
  Submitted by Leonarda Colomba  (LAMMB, Siena, Italy) 7/15/2010
  We observed distinct phases in early clearance of pneumococcal cells during invasive infection in mice. Treatment with Clodronate liposome, in addition to antibody mediated neutrophil depletion, should help in discerning the roles of different cells on the clearance of pneumococcal infection.



• Role of alveolar macrophages in HDM sensitisation 
  Submitted by Kate Tomlinson  (UCB, Slough, United Kingdom) 7/13/2010
  Primarily, the aim of this project is to determine the role of alveolar macrophages in the initial inflammatory response and subsequent sensitisation to HDM after intranasal instillation. In addition we aim to investigate the role of alveolar macrophages in IL-13 induced lung pathology.



• The macrophages‘ role in systemic anaphylaxis 
  Submitted by Zheng Xiang  (Dept. of Paediatrics and Dolescent Medicine, Hong Kong, Hong Kong) 6/7/2010
  Systemic anaphylaxis is an acute, life-threatening allergy trigged by allergen in sensitized body, which has been defined as type I hypersensitivity in the classical immunology theory.In recent years,some researchers have demonstrated that macrophages may play an important role in systemic anaphylaxis.



• role of macrophages in Inflammatory Bowel Disease 
  Submitted by Monica Guma  (UCSD, La Jolla, United States) 6/24/2010
  We propose administering the clodronate liposomes in our mouse model of IBD to determine if macrophages play a role in inflamation and TNF secretion.



• Soluble Fcγ-Receptors for Therapy of Autoimmune diseases 
  Submitted by Yolanda Sanchez  (Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany) 6/23/2010
  The response of the Farmers Lung disease to application of the human recombinant Fcγ-Rezeptor IIb into the lungs will be investigated



• TAp73 implication in innate immune response 
  Submitted by richard tomasini  (INSERM U624, marseille cedex 9, France) 6/23/2010
  This project consists to show the implication of TAp73, a p53-mimicking p73 isoform, in innate immune response. As our group wants to clarify p53 family functions we investigated TAp73 activities within innate immunity regarding the fact that p53 is able to regulate macrophages activities (1). To show such implications we are analyzing TAp73-deficient mice. by depleting macrophages in TAp73-/- and WT mice and then check their response to LPS after repopulation with crossed genotyped macrophages. (1) Komarova et al., FASEB J, 2005.



• influenza vaccine 
  Submitted by Heng Ding  (Institute Pasteur of Shanghai, Shanghai, China) 6/22/2010
  removal of mononuclear phagocytes from heterogenous cell populations in vivo
  More: http://www.shanghaipasteur.cas.cn/



• B and NKT cell cooperation 
  Submitted by David Martin  (Trudeau Institute, Inc., Saranac Lake, NY, United States) 6/18/2010
  We plan to study cooperation between MZB cells and NKT cells in the context of infection models.



• The role of macrophage in vascular remodeling 
  Submitted by Tomokazu Sumida  (Department of Cardiovascular Science and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan) 6/18/2010
  We ware investigating the contribution of Macrophages to the developing process of vascular remodeling in mice.