T cells direct the immune response.
He is studying the origins of immunity to viruses and cancer and seeking clues to the origin of autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis. Some of the mice develop autoimmune diseases that replicate the features of the human disease. Others do not develop disease, even though they have the potentially lethal cytotoxic T cells. By tracing the control circuits that normally regulate cytotoxic T cells, the Institute's researchers hope to develop strategies to prevent autoimmune disorders.