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Child Immunology Research
Defects in the immune system underlie a wide variety of pediatric illnesses, ranging from cancer and autoimmune disease, to life-threatening infections, primary immunodeficiencies and transplantation failures. In addition, the study of immunology underlies the development of childhood vaccines. With such a wide impact, researchers from several different disciplines need to work together in close cross-program collaborations to understand the underlying immunophysiology and immunopathology of pediatric illnesses and to develop new diagnostic techniques and treatment interventions. This collaborative group of researchers brings together a shared passion for children, and for immunology as well as wide clinical expertise in microbiology, infectious diseases, rheumatology, hematology, transplantation, oncology, dermatology, and vaccination.
Immunology and Transplantation investigators are involved in a number of areas of research including:
- Pre-eclampsia and placental immunology
- Organ-specific autoimmunity in diabetes, and islet cell transplantation
- Immune responses to leukemia
- The NK, T cell, B cell interactions in immune deficiencies such as X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP) and Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and aplastic anemia
- Immune rejection of graft-versus host disease following blood and marrow transplantation (BMT), which is used to treat oncologic diseases, immune disorders, autoimmune diseases, and inherited metabolic diseases, and is expanding as a treatment for stroke, myocardial infarction and multiple sclerosis
- Evaluation of non-invasive (epicutaneous) vaccination for the prevention of infectious disease and the modulation of autoimmunity and tumour immunotherapy
- Development of the Immune System from fetal to adult life, its impact on pregnancy and premature birth
- Vaccine response (adverse reactions, as well as failures) to existing vaccines, and development of novel approaches vaccination
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Defects in the immune defense system leading to life threatening infections such as Pneumococcal sepsis
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For more information, contact:
Rusung Tan, M.D. Ph.D
Last updated:
03/24/2010
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