Molecular mechanisms of T cell receptor assembly and function
T cells play a fundamental role in the initiation of immune responses, and our lab seeks to understand the mechanisms of T cell recognition and function. We examine the mechanisms of T cell receptor assembly and T cell receptor triggering using molecular, structural and cellular approaches. We have recently demonstrated that the T cell receptor is assembled based on highly unusual protein-protein interactions in the cell membrane, and that this mechanism is also relevant for the formation of many other activating immune receptors.

Mechanisms for the development of T cell mediated autoimmune diseases
We also study the causes of T cell mediated autoimmune diseases, in particular multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes, in which self-reactive T cells escape negative selection in the thymus. We have found that T cell receptors do not recognize a single MHC/peptide ligand but that they can actually be activated by a number of different peptide ligands with limited sequence similarity. This finding explains why many autoimmune diseases appear to be triggered by infectious agents.

We are exploring the mechanisms of T cell mediated autoimmunity using molecular, structural and cellular approaches and are working on novel approaches for the treatment of these diseases based on a molecular understanding of disease pathogenesis.