Barrier Immunity

Protecting the borders is vital no matter the scale – be it a country, a private yard, or a living flesh. Every organism has its defense system and that is immunity. Yet, what immune mechanisms defend our borders from invaders simultaneously allowing for effective colonization by symbionts is a matter of debate. Mucocutaneous barrier is our physical border that is occupied by trillions of commensal microbes that respond to environmental stimuli and interact with tissue immunity. The most effective immune defense is antibody production. Lab’s research focuses on cellular immunity and antibody development in barrier tissues such as the skin and the gut in response to non-inflammatory colonization with commensal microbiota, infection, and barrier vaccination. Although antibody mediated immunity is most effective weaponry in immunity’s arsenal, too much of uncontrolled rearmament might cause tissue pathology. Lab seeks to understand the factors that control balanced tissue response.