Description of Research Expertise

Dr. Song's current research pertains to the vascular and autoimmune disease biology of the complement system and innate immunity. Complement is a form of natural immunity that plays an essential role in host defense. However, activated complement must be carefully regulated to avoid autologous tissue damage. Prevention of autologous complement attack is achieved by complement regulatory proteins residing on the cell surface or present in the plasma. The relevance of complement regulatory proteins in vascular injury and autoimmune end organ damage are being investigated in our laboratory using gene knockout mice. Apart from this emphasis on complement regulators, our research also covers the interaction between complement and the toll-like receptor (TLR) system, as well as the role and mechanism of action of complement in regualting T cell immunity.

As reflected in his publications, Dr. Song also has an interest in estrogen metabolism in intracrine and paracrine estrogen regulation. Elicitation of biological responses by estrogen in target tissues requires the presence of estrogen receptor as well as receptor-active ligand in the local microenvironment. While much attention has been devoted to the study of the receptors in estrogen target tissues, the concept is emerging that tissue estrogen sensitivity may also be regulated by ligand availability through metabolic transformation in situ. Using a knockout mouse that is deficient in the estrogen sulfotransferase gene, his laboratory has revelaed important physiological roles of estrogen sulfation in intracrine and paracrine estrogen regulation.