Bone and Connective Tissues/Tissue EngineeringSARAH L. GAFFEN, PhD personal profile
The effects of cytokines and their receptors
Note: Another area of our research is available at Immunology and Innate Defenses
A class of soluble protein hormones termed cytokines regulates numerous complex biological processes. Although cytokines were originally described in the immune system, they also control bone development and function, central nervous system processes, and somatic cell growth and differentiation. In the immune system, cytokines are secreted by T cells and sensed by a variety of target cells bearing specific cytokine receptors.
My laboratory is interested in defining the molecular basis of how cytokines and their receptors transduce a cascade of signals that lead to specific responses (e.g. gene expression, proliferation, or cell death). The basic principles that we learn from this research can be applied to all biological systems where cytokine function is relevant.
“Physicians are becoming more aware of the importance of oral health, due in large part to the work of dental researchers, some of whom are here in Buffalo.”