“Autoimmune Diseases and B Cell Immunity” Featuring Dr. Mark Shlomchik

On this episode of the Immunology Podcast, Dr. Mark Shlomchik talks about the role of toll-like receptors in lupus and how his autoimmune disease research led to potential cancer therapies.

Dr. Mark Shlomchik is a Professor and Chair of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of BlueSphere Bio, a company working to create individualized T cell therapies. He talks about the role of toll-like receptors in lupus, how his autoimmune disease research led to potential cancer therapies, and starting a biotech company with his brother.

Join us while we explore the B(ad) side of B cells in autoimmunity, with Dr. Shlomchik!

Dr. Brenda Raud, host

Find more episodes at immunologypodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

This Episode's Immunology Roundup:

  • Antibody Escape in Omicron Subvariants – Researchers showed that the BA.4 and BA.5 SARS-CoV-2 sub-lineages contain mutations that reduce neutralization from vaccines and previous infection.
  • Long COVID in the Brain – After mild respiratory COVID, mice displayed elevated CSF cytokines, impaired hippocampal neurogenesis, decreased oligodendrocytes, and myelin loss.
  • Pregnancy and Intracellular Infection – Pregnancy-induced post-translational antibody modification enables protection against the prototypical intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes.
  • Sex-Specific Immune Responses to Tumors – Scientists demonstrated that sex-related differences in tumor burden depend on adaptive immunity.
Publish Date: November 02, 2022