The liver is the largest solid organ in the body and is critical for metabolic and immune functions, however huge gaps still exist in our basic knowledge of the human liver. Due to challenges in obtaining human liver tissue and the fragility of liver specimens, little is known about the cells that make up the […]

Enhancing tissue homeostasis and immune tolerance mechanisms is pivotal for the development of new therapeutic approaches for transplantation and autoimmunity. This proposal is focused on harnessing newly discovered types of lymphocytes that regulates immune responses in cell-based immunotherapies. We are developing methods to isolate and expand these newly identified regulatory lymphocytes and are assessing their […]

Atherosclerosis is a disease defined by unresolved inflammation in the major arteries. High cholesterol is a major risk factor, resulting in fatty lesions developing silently for decades before causing heart attacks and strokes. Currently, no therapies exist that target the cells of the artery wall to suppress this disease. Myeloid cells (MCs) are white blood […]

Atherosclerosis is a disease defined by unresolved inflammation in the major arteries. High cholesterol is a major risk factor, resulting in fatty lesions developing silently for decades before causing heart attacks and strokes. Currently, no therapies exist that target the cells of the artery wall to suppress this disease. Myeloid cells (MCs) are white blood […]

The mammalian liver is known for its regenerative property, capable of fully restoring mass and function after injury. However, when this process is in disarray, chronic liver diseases occur, for which the current solution is liver transplantation. Transplantation remains an imperfect solution as the supply is limited and rejection can happen. Today, 25% of patients […]

Today 25% of patients listed for liver transplantation die waiting for a liver to become available. The donor organ pool could be expanded by rescuing the 50% of livers donated after cardiac death (DCD) that are discarded due to the injury caused by prolonged periods of warm ischemia during organ retrieval. Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSC) […]

Organ transplants save patients with severe end stage organ failure but the need for subsequent lifelong immunosuppression can lead to a number of undesired consequences including the reactivation of viruses of donor or recipient origin. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is the most common opportunistic infection in transplant patients and can lead to significant morbidity and […]