Education:
MD, Thomas Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA; Residency: Internal Medicine, Barnes Hospital, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

Research Area(s):
Human Immunology

The immunobiology of lung transplantation

The McDyer lab is interested in the immunobiology of lung transplantation.  The topics currently under investigation in the lab are mechanisms of tolerance and rejection, host defense and ischemic reperfusion injury.  We use a combined approach of animal models and human cells to address questions pertinent to the field of lung transplantation.

Tolerance and Rejection:  Lung allografts are more susceptible to rejection than other solid organ transplants, resulting in decreased survival. We use the mouse orthotopic lung transplant model and the heterotopic tracheal transplant model to address specific questions regarding the regulation of cytokine responses in rejection and how different cytokine milieus lead to variable rejection pathology.  We also study the regulation of tolerance established via costimulation blockade via mechanisms of deletion, anergy and regulatory T cells, and are also interested in the mechanisms by which viruses disrupt the establishment of tolerance.

Host Defense:  CMV is the most common opportunistic infection in lung transplant recipients (LTRs), with mismatched LTRs (Donor +/Recipient -; D+R-) at highest risk for significant disease and decreased survival.  We study the immune mechanisms critical for viral control in these high risk D+R- LTRs.

Ischemic reperfusion injury (IRI): Primary Graft Dysfunction (PGD) is a manifestation of IRI following lung transplantation and is associated with poor outcomes.  We study the immune mechanisms of IRI in the mouse orthotopic lung transplant model and using human PBMC subjected to in vitro hypoxia.

Publications