Antigen Loaded Particles for Tolerance Induction

This is to indicate that I will continue to serve as Co-Principal Investigator with Dr. Lonnie Shea during Year 04 of R01 Grant EB-013198 entitled”Antigen Loaded Particles for Tolerance Induction” contributing 0.70 calendar year effort. The personnel in my laboratory listed below will carry out the in vivo EAE experiments testing the efficiency of tolerance of PLG particle formulations identitified by Dr. Shea’s laboratory on induction and progression of disease. In addition, my lab will carry out the in vivo EAE experiments [as well as the in vitro experiments examining immune responses to myelin peptides (proliferation, ELISPOT, intracellular cytokine staining, etc.), and assays related to quantitation of CNS inflammation and demyelination in the R-EAE model using flow cytometric analyses of peripheral and CNS-infiltrating immune inflammatory cells and staining of frozen CNS sections] examining the tolerogenic capacity of PLG particles loaded with myelin peptide epitopes and those experiments examining the mechanisms of PLG particle-induced tolerance induction. I will consult regularly with Dr. Shea and his personnel at the University of Michigan to review data and plan experiments, as well as meeting daily with my lab personnel to discuss experimental design and results.