Kwok Lab

Introduction

Class II Tetramer Production

Tetramer reagents for more than 30 different HLA class II alleles are produced through the Tetramer Core Laboratory. These reagents can be used to study human CD4+ T cell responses over a wide cross section of the population. Class II tetramers that can be used for CYTOF mass cytometry are also being produced in the core laboratory.

T Cell Epitope Discovery

A robust, generalized approach has been developed and implemented to systematically identify CD4+ T cell epitopes. This approach is applied to identify T cell epitopes within Categories A, B and C pathogens, tumor antigens, allergens and antigens associated with autoimmune diseases in humans.

Autoimmune Disease

Tetramers and other antigen specific T cell assays are used to examine autoreactive T cells in type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases. Experiments are designed to determine the molecular mechanisms of HLA and autoimmune disease association. HLA that are linked to disease susceptibility or disease protection have been identified. Contrasting the behavior of T cells restricted by susceptible and protective HLA alleles should provide insights into disease mechanisms and suggest strategies for intervention.

Bill Kwok
Member

Bill Kwok, PhD

Member; Principal Investigator, Kwok Lab; Director, Tetramer Core Lab
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Lab Members

Cynthia Cousens-Jacobs

Cynthia Cousens-Jacobs

Administrative Assistant, Kwok Lab
Rebecca Gomez

Rebecca Gomez

Research Technician, Kwok Lab
Briana Hall

Briana Hall

Research Technician, Kwok Lab
Alexandra Johansson

Alexandra Johansson

Research Technician, Kwok Lab
Grace Kim Kim

Grace Kim

Research Technician, Kwok Lab
Timothy Kountz

Timothy Kountz, PhD

Post Doctoral Research Associate, Kwok Lab
Marysia Radka

Marysia Radka

Research Technician, Kwok Lab

Research Projects

Kwok Research Project Preview - CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis

CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Characterization of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that are targeted toward joint assoiated autoantigen in subjects with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
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Kwok Research Project Preview - DNA-barcoded HLA class II tetramers

DNA-barcoded HLA class II tetramers

DNA-barcoded tetramers are used to examine TCR clonotype, transcriptomics, surface protein expression of epitope specific CD4+ T cells.
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Kwok Research Project Preview - Allergen epitope specific CD4+ T cells

Allergen epitope specific CD4+ T cells

Class II tetramer reagents to investigate allergen epitope specific T cells in allergic diseases and immunotherapy
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News

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Science in Seattle: Characterizing T Cell Responses to Enzymatically Modified Beta Cell Neo-Epitopes

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Publication of the Week: Cross-Reactive and Mono-Reactive SARS-CoV-2 CD4+ T Cells in Prepandemic and COVID-19 Convalescent Individuals

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Discriminative T Cell Recognition of Cross-Reactive Islet-Antigens Is Associated with HLA-DQ8 Transdimer–Mediated Autoimmune Diabetes

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