The focus of the Reimold lab's research program is to understand how transcription factors control the expression of genes involved in inflammation. Insights into how these proteins turn genes on and off may lead to new treatments for rheumatic diseases. They have studied transcription factors binding to DNA at cyclic AMP response elements, a sequence of widespread importance in the regulation of proinflammatory genes. To determine the precise functions of these transcription factors, mice with targeted disruptions of the genes under study were genereated and have revealed defects in embryonic growth and development, as well as impaired activation of inflammatory pathways. Recently they have identified a block in the pathway of B lymphocyte terminal differentiation in one of our knockout mouse models. Further work will help to elucidate how the interaction of transcription factors with each other and with their target genes regulates the production of immunoglobulin-secreting plasma cells.
