Invite to Dr. Emeka Okeke' Seminar, April
You are invited to Dr. Emeka Okeke' Seminar, on April 19, 2023, from 10am – 11am in DV1148.
Dr. Emeka Okeke is Assistant Professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia.
Training the fire fighters: engineering the immune response for the control of vascular inflammation
Abstract:
Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in the body accounting for up to 60% of the leukocyte population. Neutrophils are also the first cells to arrive at the site of inflammation and neutrophil activity is pivotal in determining outcome of the immune response. Studies have shown that proteins and other chemicals produced by neutrophils to kill microbes can cause bystander damage to host tissue. For example, neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation is a process whereby neutrophils release their cellular contents in a framework of DNA to trap microbes. However, NETs formation has also been shown to release autoantigens which contribute to the pathology of several diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, sepsis, cystic fibrosis, COVID-19 and cancer.
About Dr. Okeke’s research
My research is focused on the control of neutrophil inflammatory response as a therapeutic strategy in different disease models including sepsis, lupus and cancer. My goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that are relevant in neutrophil inflammatory response. Furthermore, I aim to identify small molecule inhibitors of neutrophil inflammatory activity as a therapeutic strategy for chronic inflammation.
Activated neutrophils release their granular proteins like elastase (red) and DNA (green) during inflammation which can lead to tissue injury. This process is called neutrophil extracellular trap formation. Arrows indicate DNA fibers.
