Kelly McCall, Ph.D.

McCall博士的研究重点是先天免疫和toll样受体（TLR）的作用，TLR是一种激活细胞免疫反应的蛋白质，在自身免疫和炎症性疾病和癌症的发展中发出信号。 目前，McCall的研究重点是自身免疫性和炎症性疾病，包括：I型和II型糖尿病、非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）、I型和II型糖尿病的血管并发症以及与慢性炎症和肥胖相关的癌症。

McCall and her team hypothesize that abnormal expression of immune processes in the cells of a target tissue result from a loss of normal transcriptional regulatory process controlling genes important to coordinate growth, function and major histocompatibility recognition by immune cells. This loss initiates autoimmune processes and development of autoimmune diseases.

McCall’s cancer studies focus on the relationship of TLRs and Wnt signal systems — pathways made of proteins that pass signals into a cell through cell surface receptors — their linkages to normal endocrine regulatory processes, the relationship between normal and abnormal growth processes and the induction of TLR and Wnt signaling by viruses, bacteria and tissue injury, including physiologic manipulative procedures.

McCall and her team develop novel drugs that block pathogenic processes. First, they use molecular and cellular biology to study the involvement of signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of these diseases and the action of their newly developed drugs. They then establish drug efficacy in animal models as potential therapeutics to treat these disorders.