ALTINDIS LAB

Why do microbes mimic human proteins? What is the role of these microbial mimics in human disease? These are the main questions that we try to address in our lab. We recently discovered that viruses can synthesize proteins that mimic human hormones, which in humans are produced by a specific cell type, and are transported by body fluids, to exert their action on different cells. The role of these microbial hormones in human disease including cancer, diabetes and autoimmune disorders is unknown. The main goal of our lab is to better understand the role of microbial mimicry mechanisms in human diseases and characterize these microbial proteins. Moreover, these microbial mimickers have the potential to cause autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 diabetes. To this end, we focus on two different but related projects: (a) characterization of viral insulins and their role in diabetes and cancer and (b) exploring the role of the microbiome in type 1 diabetes onset.

Primary location: Chestnut Hill United States