My lab is interested in understanding the role of the complement system in innate and acquired immunity and how it links the two systems via cell surface receptors.
Innate immunity is the host's first line of defense in recognition and response to non-self.
In acquired immunity, the complement system also plays a critical role by marking antigen with an activated fragment of complement C3. We have recently found that the complement system is also critical in maintaining active self-tolerance in B cells. Our approach to understanding the biological importance of complement in innate and adaptive immunity is by construction of genetic mouse models. By genetic reconstitution of these mice with transgenes bearing mutant forms of the protein or regulated by tissue specific promoters, novel insights into this complex system are being generated.