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ResearchWe seek to understand how immunologic tolerance to self molecules is established and maintained, and when tolerance is interrupted, pathogenesis of the autoimmune diseases that ensue. With a model of ovarian autoimmune disease induced by a simple synthetic ovarian peptide, we currently investigate: 1) the structure-function relation in recognition of self peptide by T cells and B cells and in disease induction, 2) the pathogenic T cell repertoire, 3) the mechanism of autoantibody generation and its role in disease, 4) antigen mimicry that can trigger autoimmune diseases, and 5) the role of self antigen in physiologic tolerance. We employ cell culture, synthetic peptide and recombinant antigens; T cell receptor structure is analyzed by flow cytometry and molecular techniques. Representative Publications Lou, Y.H., Park, K.K., Agerborg, S., Alard, P, Tung, K.S.K. Re-target T cell-mediated inflammation: A new perspective of autoantibody action. J Immunol., 164:5251-5257, 2000. Garza, K.M., Agersborg, S.S., Baker, E., Tung, K.S.K. Persistence of physiological self antigen is requied for regulation of pathogenic autoimunity. J Immunol., 164: 3982-3989, 2000 Agersborg SS, Garza KM, Tung KSK. Intestinal parasitism as environmental agent in generation of pathogenic and memory autoimmune T cells. Europ J Immunol. 31:851-859, 2001. Alard, P., Thompson, C., Agersborg, S, Thatte, J., Setiady Y., Samy E., Tung, K.S.K. Endogenous oocyte antigens are required for rapid induction and progression of autoimmune ovarian disease following day 3 thymectomy. J Immunol. 166:4363-4369, 2001. Tung KSK, Agersborg SS, Alard P, Garza KM, Lou YH. Regulatory T cell, endogenous antigen, neonatal environment in the prevention and induction of autoimmune disease. Immun Rev. 183:135-148, 2001. |