Cellular Mechanisms of Inflammation

Glomerular apoptotic bodies (arrows)in C1q-deficient mice

An inflammatory response requires the recruitment of innate immune cells (e.g. neutrophils and monocyte/macrophages) and the induction of processes that allow them to engulf targets and to eliminate the aberrant stimuli. We are interested in understanding the cellular responses to targets opsonized with antibody or complement as these responses contribute to tissue injury associated with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.