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INSTITUTE FOR IMMUNOLOGY FACULTY
| Michael E. Selsted, M.D., Ph.D. |
| Fields of Study: |
| Innate Immunity and Pathogenesis |
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| Research Interests: |
| Dr. Selsted and his collaborators have discovered and characterized several families of antimicrobial peptides which are produced by immune cells of higher mammals. Termed alpha-, beta-, and theta-defensins, these peptides provide the host with the ability to fend off potentially invasive pathogens. The recently characterized theta-defensins are cylic molecules, and represent the first example of this molecular motif in animals. Defensins possess potent antimicrobial activities against bacteria, fungi, certain viruses, protozoa, and they also have cytotoxic activity against tumor cells. The antimicrobial properties are unique in that resistant bacteria do not arise from repeated passage in the presence of sublethal peptide concentrations. Some defensins are produced in the lining of the small intestine and are secreted into its lumen. This finding demonstrates that defensins are tolerated on normal tissue surfaces, and suggests that defensin-like peptides may have therapeutic utility. Ongoing studies are focused on 1) characterizing the process of the cyclization process that gives rise to the novel circular structure of theta defensins, 2) biophysical characterization of antimicrobial mechanisms, and 3) analysis of the regulation of defensin gene expression. |
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| Office Address/Phone: |
D440D Med Sci I
949-824-2350 |
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| Lab Address/Phone: |
949-824-2347, 2348, 2349, 3567, 3564, 1049 |
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| Email: meselste@uci.edu |
| Web Site: http://www.ucihs.uci.edu/com/pathology/faculty/mselsted.html |
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