Regulation of Mucosal Immune Responses

TERRY CONNELL, PhD  personal profile

A major focus of my laboratory is to investigate the cellular and molecular events which modulate mucosal immune responses. We have demonstrated that LT-IIa and LT-IIb, two Type II heat-labile enterotoxins of Escherichia coli, are potent oral and nasal immunogens that have the capacity for augmenting humoral and cellular immune responses . Using a variety of immunological and cellular techniques (including flow cytometry, FRET fluorescent detection, cytokine multiplex analysis, mutagenesis, and the use of transgenic mice), we are evaluating the manners in which these two immunomodulators productively interact with various lymphoid cells such as T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells to induce or suppress cytokine production, co-stimulatory ligand expression, and proliferation.

Dr. Connell’s Additional Research