Career Summary
My research program focuses on the investigation of the immune responses in asthma and allergic diseases through the study of the role of IL-16, a cytokine which has specific activity on CD4 cells. Our experiments have demonstrated the predominant expression of IL-16 in bronchial biopsies of subjects with atopic asthma as compared to normal controls. Further upregulation of IL-16 expression was observed following segmental allergen provocation in asthmatic individuals but not in normal controls. Epithelial cells are a major source of IL-16 and glucocorticoids are potent inhibitor of its production.
Our current studies aim to elucidate the potential role of IL-16 in the immune response following allergic stimulation, particularly on the profile of cytokine synthesis by CD4 T cells. Our data show that IL-16 inhibits the production of Th2-type cytokines and promote the synthesis of Th1-type cytokine in circulating T cells from atopic donors in response to allergen stimulation. These data suggest that IL-16 may have a protective role in allergic processes and in asthma. The cellular and molecular mechanisms by which IL-16 regulate cytokine synthesis by T cells are under study. In addition, the role of IL-16 in modulating the allergic airway responses in vivo is investigated using a mouse model of asthma. In addition to this research, studies are designed to determine to role of IL-16 in the production of IgE by B cells.