Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
The Kendall Lab works on Allergic and Autoimmune Diseases, with a focus on B lymphocytes and antibodies. Diseases studied include Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis with interstitial lung disease, red meat allergy (alpha gal), and humoral immunodeficiency. The goal is to eliminate disease-causing B cells while leaving normal B cells intact to fight off infection. We discovered that autoreactive B cells have altered signaling requirements that make them more sensitive to kinase inhibitors than normal B cells in mice and are now working to translate that work to patients. We also work with biomedical engineers to create constructs that will specifically target autoreactive B cells for elimination without harming normal cells. B cell signaling contributions to IgA and microbiome are also underway with a focus on therapeutic possibilities.