Cytokines and Viral Defense

Cells respond to their environment with rapid and specific biological changes that can lead to proliferation, growth inhibition, differentiation, or cellular suicide. Polypeptide hormones (cytokines) can elicit rapid physiological responses by binding to cell surface receptors and transmitting a signal to the nucleus that activates the transcription of a specific set of genes.

The signal transduction pathway of one class of cytokines activates latent cytoplasmic transcription factors that are members of the family of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs).  Our group studies the molecular mechanisms that regulate activation and suppression of STATs, and their nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking.

The innate immune response to viral infection requires the expression of new genes that function in host defense. Cytokines called interferons are produced in response to infection and have the unique abilty to confer resistance to viral infection, to inhibit the growth of normal and tumorigenic cells, and to induce the differentiation and activation of a variety of immune cells. The molecular mechanisms that lead to interferon gene induction and the specific actions of interferon-induced genes are areas of current investigation