Surojit Sarkar, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Immunology

      W209 Millennium Science Complex
      University Park, PA 16802-2131
      Office Phone: (814) 867-4034
      Email: ssarkar@psu.edu

Molecular Regulation of Immunological Memory to Pathogens and Vaccines

 Immunological memory is a key hallmark property of our adaptive immune system. It is the mechanism by which our immune system “remembers” the first encounter with a pathogen, sometimes for life. Subsequent encounter with the same pathogen is then dealt with expeditiously by memory cells, such that infection and/or disease are effectively curtailed. Larger numbers, rapidity of action, a broad spectrum of effector functions, localization at portals of pathogen entry and longevity are key attributes of memory cells that make them a desirable goal of all vaccines. Our laboratory studies T cell responses to a variety of model murine bacterial and viral infections and vaccines to help understand when and how potent long-lived immune memory is generated.

 Memory cells are generated after an infection triggers pathogen-specific naïve T cells to expand and differentiate into effector cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that migrate to peripheral sites of infection and contribute to pathogen clearance. In cases where pathogen is effectively eradicated, majority of the CTLs die by apoptosis, leaving behind a small fraction of effectors that differentiate into long-lived protective memory cells. Our research programs are focused on delineating the cell-extrinsic and –intrinsic developmental cues that govern memory lineage commitment and determine their ability to persist long-term in the organism and impart protection. We characterize antigen-specific T cell differentiation events in vivo following infection using at a single cell level using tetramer reagents, fluorescent antibodies against stage-specific cellular proteins, genome-wide microarray analyses and quantitative PCR approaches. Impact of specific environmental and T-cell intrinsic factors are assessed using gene-deleted mice, adoptive transfers and RNAi. In the long run, we hope to translate such knowledge for rational design of efficacious vaccines and immunization strategies that yield robust protection from infection and disease.

Laboratory:

W213 Millennium Science Complex
Phone: 814-863-0130
Fax: 814-863-6140