The Molecular Immunology, Virology and Inflammation (MIVI) area includes many highly interactive laboratories with complementary interests. Research within this program is relevant to a number of serious diseases with an emphasis on the basic mechanisms and treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions (including asthma, fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatic disease), infectious diseases (including HIV, chlamydia, human papilloma virus, tuberculosis), as well as treatment of cancer through modulation of immunity. Current research areas include:
- immunology and disease pathogenesis at mucosal surfaces including the airways, gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts
- examination of T-cell and antibody responses, cytokine cascades in inflammation and immunity
- investigation and development of vaccines and novel strategies of immuno-modulation and gene therapy
- immune stimulation for treatment of cancer
- roles of (and interactions between) lymphocytes, mast cells, eosinophils, macrophages, muscle function, nerve cells
- immunology of pregnancy, immunogenetics and HIV immunodeficiency
The MIVI program area includes laboratories which use the full range of molecular, in vitro and in vivo approaches to examine disease related issues of importance to our understanding of basic mechanisms and the potential for new approaches to therapy. Close collaborations have been formed involving scientists of the Centre for Gene Therapeutics, the Intestinal Disease Research Program, the Rheumatic Disease Unit and the Asthma Research Groups as well as colleagues at other universities, research institutes and the pharmaceutical industry, that thus provide an interesting and interactive environment for students.
Information provided by: http://www-fhs.mcmaster.ca