This thesis describes the characterization of antibody-mediated immunity against two pathogens -- Cryptococcus neoformans and Bacillus anthracis. The work is based on the generation and isolation of polyclonal sera that ...

Autoimmune disease occurs when (1) there is a breakdown in self-tolerance and (2) the target organ is susceptible to damage by the immune system. Our studies focus on the susceptibility of the target organ to damage. Our ...

Type 1 diabetes (Ti D) is characterized by T cell mediated destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreatic islets. T cells require the presentation of beta cell epitopes on MHC molecules in order to target ...

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the most common cause of community acquired pneumonia in the United States and globally. The ability of pneumococcus, a Gram positive bacterium, to cause disease in humans and ...

Diabetes disproportionately affects those ≥ 65 years and is associated with major morbidity and mortality. IGF proteins and ghrelin have been implicated in the development of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Despite ...

Metastasis is the spread of tumor cells from the primary tumor to a distant site. The ability of carcinoma cells to invade the surrounding stroma is a key step in this process. Previous work has shown that a paracrine ...