The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research
Manhasset, NY, United States
Our laboratory studies the role of the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) in autoimmune disease and cancer, with particular interests in systemic lupus erythematosus and breast cancer, as well as other inflammatory diseases. In direct relation to the current project, studies in both mice and humans confirm that loss or inhibition of IRF5 protects from SLE disease onset and severity. We published that healthy donor carrying the homozygous IRF5-SLE risk haplotype have characteristics of pre-symptomatic SLE, including increased levels of circulating plasma cells, anti-nuclear autoantibodies and spontaneous NETosis, as compared to homozygous non-risk carriers. During this study, we became interested in studying neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). We recently developed and published a novel methodology to detect NETs from patient plasma/serum, which has been a huge challenge in the field. We validated the methodology using SLE patient plasma and IRF5-SLE risk/non-risk samples. We are now studying circulating NETs and DNase1L3 in a pediatric lupus.
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM PT
Disclosure information not submitted.