Life Science Mentor Colloquium :: Armando Villalta, PhD
February 26, 2019
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Armando Villalta, PH.D.
Physiology and Biophysics
Institute for Immunology
University of California, Irvine
“Immunity in muscular dystrophy: the good, the bad and the regulation”
Activation of the immune system following injury is a response conserved in nearly all tissues. Acute muscle trauma triggers immune cell recruitment and inflammation to guide regeneration and the restoration of tissue homeostasis, culminating in complete resolution of the inflammatory response. However, in degenerative disease like Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), sustained and asynchronous bouts of muscle injury chronically activate the immune system, causing dysregulation of inflammatory responses that normally facilitate muscle regeneration. Such dysregulation of the immune response to muscle injury is viewed as a key pathogenic event, that regulates the progression and severity of DMD. My laboratory aims to study this dysregulation with a key interest in defining the cellular and molecular regulation of immune responses that exacerbate muscle injury and those that promote regeneration. In this regard, the role of regulatory T cells in muscular dystrophy will be discussed, emphasizing their role in regulating the balance between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ inflammation. Our experience in ameliorating the severity of muscular dystrophy by targeting Tregs highlights an opportunity to leverage the suppressive activity of Tregs to suppress immunity and tolerize DMD patients to gene therapy.
Tuesday, February 26th, 2019
12:00 noon
158 Hershey Hall
Host: Ketema Paul
Refreshments will be served