Dr. Steve Weinstein
The immune system is responsible for protecting us against a wide variety of infectious, disease-causing organisms. Macrophages are cells in the immune system that play a critical role in the early detection and response to infection. Activation of macrophages stimulates the release of substances that are directly toxic to invading microbes and the secretion of chemical mediators that promote the immune responses of other cells. My research is focused on understanding the signal transduction reactions that trigger the immune response of macrophages to infection. In particular, we are interested in the response of macrophages to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a structurally conserved component of Gram-bacterial membranes and a potent activator of macrophages. Our investigation is directed toward identifying the initial signaling events presumed to occur at the plasma membrane as well as the more distal events that occur in the nucleus, resulting in altered gene transcription. Our research utilizes biochemical, molecular and immunological....




Last modified July 10, 2002