Weller Lab
Peter F. Weller, MD
Dr. Peter Weller's lab has many active areas of basic laboratory
research centered around understanding basic mechanisms of leukocyte
functioning in forms of inflammation. The two principal areas of
investigation are: 1) the immunobiology of eosinophilic leukocytes and 2)
the intracellular regulation and compartmentalization of inducible
mediators of inflammation in neutrophils and other leukocytes.
Studies of human eosinophils are aimed at defining mechanisms whereby
eosinophils may collaboratively interact with other cellular elements of
the immune system. These studies include investigations of the mechanisms
whereby eosinophils may function as antigen-presenting cells in governing
T-lymphocyte dependent immune responses, and include investigations of the
in vivo migration and function of eosinophils and of the regulated
expression of cell surface proteins involved in collaborative interactions
between eosinophils and other cell types. Additional studies are focused on
defining the molecular mechanisms governing the synthesis, granule storage
and release mechanisms of eosinophil derived cytokines. The roles of
eosinophils in wound healing and fibrosis and the activities of chemokines
and cytokines released by eosinophils that contribute to tissue remodeling
are being studied. The second area of research involves the molecular and
cellular biologic bases of inducible responses of leukocytes participating
in host defense and other forms of inflammation. These are centered on a
unique intracellular compartment, termed the lipid body, whose formation is
rapidly inducible in leukocytes. The intracellular signaling mechanisms
responsible for lipid body induction and especially the roles of lipid
bodies as distinct sites of cytokine and eicosanoid mediator formation are
being studied. In addition to investigating previously undefined pathways
of leukocyte responses to inflammation, these studies also offer the
potential to identify novel anti-inflammatory therapeutic targets. Our
research indicates that lipid bodies in leukocytes have roles as sites of
regulated formation of eicosanoids and as distinct extranuclear sites of
transcription and translation. The biology of these structures is
intimately related to the roles of leukocytes in acute inflammation.