Fred D. Finkelman, MD

Dr. Finkelman's group’s contributions to immunology and medicine have focused on the use of mouse models of normal and abnormal immune function. They have included the initial demonstrations that: 1) IL-4 is required for induction of IgE responses in vivo, IFN-γ promotes the induction of IgG2a responses in vivo, and IL-12 suppresses IgE responses in vivo; 2) IL-4, IL-13, IL-4Rα, and Stat6 are required for host protection against intestinal worms, and protect predominantly through effects on intestinal epithelial cells, including induction of RELMβ; 3) inflammatory stimuli are required to induce dendritic cells to present antigen in a stimulatory, rather than a tolerogenic fashion; 4) complement and macrophages are required for development of murine transfusion-related acute lung injury; 5) rapid desensitization with anti-FcεRIα monoclonal antibody is a safe and effective way to rapidly suppress IgE-mediated disorders; and 6) immunoglobulin isotypes that are relatively ineffective in the induction of antibody effector mechanisms protect against inflammatory disease. 

In addition, his group has developed three important in vivo techniques: 1) the use of anti-IgD antibodies to stimulate polyclonal B cell and T cell activation and antibody secretion; 2) the use of cytokine/anti-cytokine monoclonal antibody complexes to induce long-lasting increases in cytokine effects; and 3) the in vivo cytokine capture assay for measurement of in vivo cytokine secretion.