David Flowers (Tidor Lab)

Computational Identification of Drug Targets for Complement System Diseases

The complement system is a set of proteins in the circulation that activate in the presence of pathogens and provoke an immune response. Dysregulation of complement plays a role in various inflammatory diseases. We developed a computational model of the complement system to study the effects of a hypothetical panel of antibody therapeutics on complement activation in kidney diseases. Simulations reveal simple yet easily overlooked principles of target selection and suggest important sources of inter-patient variability and drug synergy.

Brittany Goods (Irvine & Love Labs)

PD-1 Marks Dysfunctional Regulatory T cells in Glioblastoma

Immunotherapies that target immune checkpoint receptors on T cells represents a new paradigm for treating cancer. A clearer immunological understanding of how these therapies work in humans should lead to improvements in the clinic. We sought to characterize how the expression of one such receptor, PD-1, effects the function and phenotype of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the context of healthy donors and brain cancer patients. We found that treatment with anti-PD-1 may enhance a beneficial dysfunctional state in tumor-derived Tregs.