William D. Mathew, Ph.D. William D. Mathew, Ph.D. Dr. Matthew's laboratory uses monoclonal antibodies to analyze cell surface interactions important in the development and regeneration of the nervous system. An important aspect of this work has been to develop novel immunological techniques that allow one to minimize immunodominance and suppression, to define a broad range of determinants and to obtain antibodies to minor antigens. Their method makes use of the immunosuppressant drug cyclophosphamide to tolerize mice to selected antigens, to break immunologic tolerance and to elicit a high frequency to anti-idiotypic antibodies. The strategy is to test these novel antibodies in in vitro bioassays to determine whether any antibodies can alter cell behavior.
Antibodies can alter cell behavior through a number of mechanisms.
They can bind growth-promoting molecules and neutralize their activities, or they can bind and activate surface receptor proteins. Although their lab is interested in both mechanisms, the latter, in particular, offers the opportunity to use antibodies to facilitate recovery from injury. With this goal in mind, they have developed antibodies that promote neurite growth and Schwann cell migration in vitro. These antibodies are being tested in in vivo assays to determine whether they facilitate nerve regeneration.