Kuhns Lab

Protective immune responses to vaccines, microbial infections, and tumors require that coordinated responses emerge from ‘conversations’ that take place between distinct cell types of the immune system. These conversations ensure that an appropriate response occurs at the appropriate place and time without inducing autoimmunity. We are working to understand the inner workings of the molecular machines that mediate the private cell-to-cell conversations that are central to productive immunity, and determine how aging impacts these mechanisms. Our basic research is contributing fundamental insights into the biology of the immune system, which we are using to guide efforts to engineer novel molecular machines that might one day be used in immunotherapies.

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