Role of antibodies and their receptors in chronic inflammation: The activation of inflammatory white blood cells is a major mechanism of tissue destruction in certain autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. It is well known that destructive chemicals, enzymes and hormones are released by these cells into affected tissues, for example joints and kidneys. What is lacking is knowledge of the earliest steps in the immune system that activate the inflammator ....Role of antibodies and their receptors in chronic inflammation: The activation of inflammatory white blood cells is a major mechanism of tissue destruction in certain autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. It is well known that destructive chemicals, enzymes and hormones are released by these cells into affected tissues, for example joints and kidneys. What is lacking is knowledge of the earliest steps in the immune system that activate the inflammatory white blood cells and drive this inflammation cascade to the point where chemicals are released and tissued destroyed. This project investigates the role of one of the major receptor families involved in the activation of inflammation. These are receptors for antibodies called FcR. The binding to these receptors of unusual antibodies produced in autoimmune disease initiate events that stimulate white blood cells leading to their activation and the secretion of inflammatory substances. Our work leading up to this project has been very exciting and has shown that one receptor in particular, FcgammaRIIa is unique to humans, is the most widespread FcR in the body and is the most potent activator of inflammatory substance release. We will be studying animal models to precisely define how this human receptor works. Mice have been generated which contain this uniquely human receptor and these mice develop many features of human autoimmune disease such as the joint destruction, kidney destruction and lung destruction seen in both rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The principal aim of our study is to define the role of this human receptor in the development of inflammatory conditions with the ultimate goal of using this information to generate new treatments for these diseases.Read moreRead less