Mechanisms of Allergic Diseases Lab

MAD Lab Focus

The Mechanisms of Allergic Diseases (MAD) lab, led by Principal Investigator Dr. Eric Oliver, MD, conducts translational and clinical research aimed at elucidating the pathways for cell activation and recruitment in allergic conditions with a focus on immune-mediated skin diseases. Our previous work examined chemoattractant receptor expression profiles on blood cells in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), which led to the novel finding of altered CRTh2 expression and and function in CSU patients. These observations laid the groundwork for our single-center clinical trial which was the first to examine the clinical implications of CRTh2 activation in CSU through the use of a CRTh2 antagonist. Currently, we seek to characterize the functional role of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) in disorders of mast cell activation. We developed a novel human skin explant model for studying skin mast cell activation and inhibition using discarded surgical skin specimens.

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