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Jay Conner,
B.S., Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a major player in the generation of the acute phase response and has also been implicated in perpetuating a variety of chronic inflammatory conditions. Activation of pattern recognition receptors such as those of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family is one of the events capable of initiating secretion of this cytokine by immune cells. My project exploits the vast differences in the ability of inbred mouse strains to secrete IL-6 in response to classic TLR agonists in a search to elucidate the molecular pathways responsible for cytokine production. Using a forward genetics approach, I hope to identify and characterize key aspects of signaling from cell surface recognition to transcriptional regulation involved in this process. A more thorough understanding of these molecular events will allow more specific targeting of IL-6 in the treatment of the wide array of pathologies with which it is associated. |
