Pranoti Mandrekar

Research in my laboratory focuses on understanding the signaling mechanisms involved in innate immune cell activation during liver injury and cancer. The physiological function of the liver is elimination of pathogens and antigens from the blood for which mounting of an immune response is required. To avoid unnecessary activation of the immune system, the liver develops a local immune response followed by induction of peripheral tolerance towards the antigen. When stressful agents such as pathogens or environmental insults challenge the liver for extended periods of time and their elimination is not possible, inflammation and injury follows. The onset of inflammation in the liver is followed by fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. Thus, studying the mechanisms involved in liver inflammation will provide major insights into pathogenesis of liver disease and progression.