Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) system consists of a cluster of genes within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on the short arm of chromosome 6. The HLA genes encode the cell surface glycoproteins that are specialized in presenting foreign antigens to T cells and play a key role in immune defense. HLA has two major classes of genes, Class I and Class II that are structurally and functionally different. Class I are expressed by most nucleated cells and are essential to present antigens to CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes for immune cytotoxic responses. Class II are only found on the surface of antigen presenting cells, such as B lymphocytes, dendritic cells or macrophages. These cells present antigenic peptide in conjunction with Class II molecules to CD4+ T helper cells for proper immune recognition. HLA is characterized by extensive polymorphism which in one hand enables the immune system to recognize any invading pathogens, however in the other hand is an obstacle for transplantation.
Our lab provides clinical tests to support transplant programs of Thomas Jefferson University that include Kidney, Pancreas, Liver, Heart and Bone Marrow transplantation. The tests include HLA typing, HLA antibody screen and crossmatching to evaluate histocompatibility between donor-recipient pairs. Besides regular clinical work, I am interested in translational research that is mainly focus on these two goals: 1) to create new matching methods for better donor-recipient compatibility assessment; 2) to develop non-invasive diagnostic assays for early detection of graft rejection or disease relapse.