Immunology Graduate Group
Stefania Gallucci, M.D.
Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Laboratory of Dendritic Cell Biology, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics
Address:
1107C Abramson Research Center,
34th St. & Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia
Office Phone: 215-590-0699
Lab Phone: 267-426-5278
Fax: 215-590-1258
Email: gallucci@email.chop.edu
Link to Dr. Gallucci's website at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Education:
M.D., Universita' Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC), Rome, Italy
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Immunology, National Institutes of Health, NIAID
Research Interest
Biology of dendritic cells:
- Dendritic cell activation and survival.
- Endogenous Danger Signals (i.e. Type I Interferons)
- Effects of apoptotic/necrotic cells on dendritic cell functions.
- Role of dendritic cells in lupus pathogenesis.
- Role of dendritic cells in vaccines.
Research Summary
The main interest of the laboratory is the initiation and regulation of the immune response. In particular, we study dendritic cells (DCs), the most important antigen-presenting cells that are in charge of stimulating an immune response. Using techniques of traditional cellular immunology and cutting edge molecular biology, we investigate the function and life span of DCs, depending on their state of activation, the type of immune response they elicit and the inflammatory environment surrounding them. Our goal is to discover new ways to manipulate the function of dendritic cells to improve DC-based and other innovative vaccines needed to fight tumors and infectious diseases and to modulate autoimmunity.
Danger Signals. DCs are the sentinels of our bodies, patrolling the different tissues and organs and waiting for Danger Signals, stimuli able to activate DCs. Danger Signals can be endogenous, derived from tissues undergoing stress, damage or non-physiologic cell death, or can be exogenous, derived from pathogens. We are currently investigating endogenous Danger Signals such as Type I Interferons and their role in the activation of DCs and in the quality of the immune response. An effective vaccine requires a strong adjuvant as one of the components. Endogenous Danger signals can be tested as novel adjuvants in vaccine development.
Autoimmunity . We are interested in understanding the role of DCs in the autoimmune disorder Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. We use spontaneous and induced models of murine lupus to determine how the DCs affects the autoimmune process; we investigate DC costimulatory and cytokine profile, APC activity, life span and underlying molecular mechanisms. Our studies are aimed to identify DC abnormalities and develop strategies to reestablish immune regulation by inhibiting the production or the response to endogenous Danger Signals and modulating DC functions in vivo, with the goal to ameliorate the severity and ultimately to cure this disease.
Recent Publications:
Colonna, L., Dinnall, J., Shivers, D.K, Frisoni, L., Caricchio, R., Gallucci, S.: Abnormal costimulatory phenotype and function of Dendritic Cells before and after the onset of severe murine lupus. Arthritis Research & Therapy , 2006, 8 (2): R49 online Open Access.
Zheng Y, Gallucci S, Gaughan JP, Gross JA and Marc Monestier. A role for B cell-activating factor of the TNF family in chemically-induced autoimmunity. J Immuno 2005 , Nov 1;175(9):6163-8.
Frisoni L, Mcphie L, Colonna L, Sriram U, Monestier M, Gallucci S*, Caricchio R*. Nuclear autoantigen translocation and autoantibody opsonization lead to increased dendritic cell phagocytosis and presentation of nuclear antigens: a novel pathogenic pathway for autoimmunity? J Immunol 2005, Aug 15;175 (4):2692-701 .
*These two senior authors contributed equally to the paper.
Gallucci S, Matzinger P.; Danger signals: SOS to the immune system. Curr Opin Immunol 2001 Feb;13(1):114-9.
Gallucci S, Lolkema M, Matzinger P.; Natural adjuvants: endogenous activators of dendritic cells. Nat Med 1999 Nov;5(11):1249-55.
Lab rotation projects for graduate students
- Role of Type I Interferons in uric acid-induced activation of DCs.
- Effect of DC survival on the decision between tolerance and immunity.
- In vivo induction of necrosis to stimulate anti-HIV responses by endogenous DCs.
- Effects of CD40 triggering on DC susceptibility to apoptosis in NZM2410 lupus-prone mice.
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