Prof. Nussbaum Gabriel (MD PhD)
Our laboratory focuses on the innate immune response to oral pathogens, and on innate immune signaling in extra-oral diseases. Using mouse models and in vitro techniques we are probing how bacteria are recognized and the pathways they have developed to outmaneuver the host response in order to thrive in the highly inflamed milieu of the oral cavity. For example, we demonstrated that one of the major anaerobic gram negative oral bacteria associated with periodontal disease, P. gingivalis, escapes immunity by activating a novel TLR2-PI3K signaling pathway. Innate immune signaling also contributes to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. We developed a novel inhibitor of a major innate immune signaling protein, MyD88, and are studying how inhibition of MyD88 influences autoimmune disease development. Finally, we have a strong interest in the contribution of oral pathogens such as P. gingivalis to cancer development in the oral cavity and beyond the oral cavity. A large body of epidemiologic evidence links P. gingivalis to pancreatic cancer development, and we have established models to study the potential mechanisms underlying this association.
Lab Manager: Dr. Luba Eli-Berchoier
E-mail: luba.e@hotmail.com