Purpose

Our laboratory is broadly interested in understanding the molecular basis of human autoimmune diseases, which in aggregate affect nearly 4% of the US population. The overall goal of the projects in our laboratory is to identify novel molecules and pathways that are dysregulated in autoimmunity, so that improved therapies for patients with autoimmune disorders can be designed. To accomplish this, we are taking several complementary approaches. To learn more about our specific research, visit the project overview, protocols, and members pages.

Recent Publications :

A common haplotype of interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) regulates splicing and expression and is associated with increased risk of systemic lupus erythematosus Robert R Graham, Sergey V Kozyrev, Emily C Baechler, MV Prasad Linga Reddy, Robert M Plenge, Jason W Bauer, Ward A Ortmann, Thearith Koeuth, Ma Francisca Gonzalez Escribano, the Argentine and Spanish Collaborative Groups, Bernardo Pons-Estel, Michelle Petri, Mark Daly, Peter K Gregersen, Javier Martin, David Altshuler, Timothy W Behrens & Marta E Alarcon-Riquelme Nature Genetics - published online 16 April 2006; doi:10.1038/ng1782 - PDF -

Genomic view of systemic autoimmunity in MRLlpr mice J Liu, G Karypis, KL Hippen, AL Vegoe, P Ruiz, GS Gilkeson, and TW Behrens Genes and Immunity (2006) 7 - PDF -

In Vivo Assessment of the Relative Contributions of Deletion, Anergy, and Editing to B Cell Self-Tolerance Keli L. Hippen, Brian R. Schram, Lina E. Tze,3 Kathryn A. Pape, Marc K. Jenkins, and Timothy W. Behrens The Journal of Immunology, 2005, 175: 909–916 - PDF -