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Autoimmunity Laboratory
Laboratory Head: Phone: (03) 99030281, mobile: 0402524854 PhD Students: Hyun Ja Ko, Zeyad Nasa, Amit Joglekar Research interests Autoimmune diseases are a major health problem and defined by an immune response that targets self-tissues leading to clinical illness. It affects up to 5% of the population and includes diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus to name few. A major interest of our laboratory is understanding the processes associate with the autoimmune response and loss of immunological tolerance with the aim of devising strategies to prevent or reverse autoimmunity. Our work focuses on the use of animal models of autoimmunity and the potential of gene therapy strategies aimed at treating these diseases. Gene therapy is targeted manipulation of genetic expression with the aim of treating disease. The immune system is a good target for gene therapy and our recent studies have examined the use of genetic manipulation to influence immunological tolerance and alter susceptibility to autoimmune disease. Honours and Post-graduate studies Our laboratory is part of a university teaching department and as such we offer a range of opportunities for students for honours and post-graduate studies. With appropriate support, students undertake research projects that focus on the lab’s research interests. Interested students should talk with A/P Frank Alderuccio (frank.alderuccio@med.monash.edu.au) for further details Funding: NH&MRC (National Health & Medical Research Council) SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Chan, J, Ban, E.J., Chun, K.H., Wang, S., Backstrom, T., Bernard, C., Toh, B.H. and F. Alderuccio 2008, Transduced bone marrow establishes antigen-specific deletional tolerance in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (submitted) Field, J., Alderuccio, F., Hertzog P. and B.H. Toh. GM-CSF-induced autoimmune gastritis in interferon alpha receptor deficient mice. J Autoimmunity (In Press ) Chan, J, Ban, E.J., Chun, K.H., Wang, S., Mcqualter, J., Bernard, C., Toh, B.H. and F. Alderuccio. 2008 Methylprednisolone induces reversible clinical and pathological remission and loss of lymphocyte reactivity to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Autoimmunity, (In Press ) Alderuccio, F. Chan, J and Toh, B.H. 2008 Tweaking the immune system: Gene therapy- assisted autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation as a treatment for autoimmune disease. Autoimmunity, (In Press ) Alderuccio, F. Chan, J and Toh, B.H. 2007 Haematopoietic stem cell based gene therapy as a strategy to treat autoimmune disease. Advances in Gene, Molecular and Cell Therapy 1(2), 141-149 Chan, JM, Clements, WJ, Field, J, Nasa Z, Lock P. Yap F, Toh BH and F. Alderuccio. (2006). Transplantation of bone marrow engineered to express proinsulin2 establishes molecular chimerism and prevents insulitis in the NOD mouse model of T1D, J Gene Med, 8, 1281-1290 Biondo, M, Field, J., Toh, B.H. and F. Alderuccio (2006) Prednisolone treatment of experimental autoimmune gastritis in athymic mice promotes gastric regeneration and long-term remission. J Pathology, 209, 384-391 Alderuccio F, Siatskas C, Chan J, Field J, Murphy K, Nasa Z and Toh BH, (2006), Haematopoietic stem cell gene therapy to treat autoimmune disease. Current Stem Cell Reviews, 1, 231-238 Siatskas C, Chan J, Field J, Murphy K, Nasa Z, Toh BH, and Alderuccio F, (2006), Gene therapy strategies towards immune tolerance to treat the autoimmune diseases. Current Gene Therapy, 6(1):45-58 Alderuccio F, Murphy K, Biondo M, Field J and Toh BH. Reversing the autoimmune condition: experience with experimental autoimmune gastritis. International Reviews of Immunology. 24:135-155 Marshall A, Toh BH and F. Alderuccio. (2004) Tumour necrosis factor a is not implicated in the genesis of experimental autoimmune gastritis. J. Autoimmunity Feb; 22(1):1-11. Alderuccio F, Toh BH. (2004) Induction of tolerance to self-antigens using genetically modified bone marrow cells. Expert Opin Biol Ther. Jul; 4(7):1007-14. Toh BH and Alderuccio F. (2004) Pernicious anemia. Autoimmunity, Jun;37(4):357- Murphy K, Biondo M, Toh BH and Alderuccio F. (2003)Tolerance is established in active autoimmune disease by matinjg or transplantation with bone marrow that target autoantigen to the thymus”. International Immunol.15: 269-277. Alderuccio F, Murphy K and Toh BH. (2003) Stem cells engineered to treat autoimmunity by targeting self-antigen to the thymus. Trends Immunol, 24:176-180. Alderuccio F, Biondo M and Toh BH. (2002) Organ-specific autoimmunity in GM-CSF deficient mice. Autoimmunity Feb; 35(1):67-73. Alderuccio F, Sentry J, Marshall A, Biondo M and Toh BH. (2002) Animal models of human disease: Experimental autoimmune gastritis. Clin Immunol Jan; 102(1):48-58. Marshall A, Alderuccio F and Toh BH. (2002) Fas/CD95 is required for gastric mucosal damage in autoimmune gastritis. Gastroenterol 123(3):780-789 Biondo M, Nasa Z, Marshall A, Toh BH, and Alderuccio F. (2001) Local transgenic expression of granulocyte-monocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) initiates autoimmunity. J.Immunol 166, 2090-2099 |
