Autoimmunity

Autoimmunity impacts over 25 million Americans, making this one of the most prevalent diseases in this country. Self-reactive T cells are a central component of all autoimmune disorders and thus therapeutics target this cell population. Current therapies inhibit T cell activity in a non-specific manner, resulting in various degrees of immune suppression in patients. This leads to serious side effects including increased rates of infectious disease. In the Sebzda lab, we are currently working on pre-clinical therapies that shut down autoreactive T cell responses while avoiding global immune suppression. Validation of preliminary data will have a significant impact on future autoimmune therapies.