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Faculty Appointment:
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Professor,
Department of Internal Medicine
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Additional Titles: |
Division Chief, Rheumatology
Director, Rheumatic Diseases Core Center
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| Specialty: |
Rheumatology
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| Clinical Interests: |
Rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. |
| Research Interests: |
Research in Dr. Fox's laboratory is directed at defining and characterizing pathways of human T cell activation, and the role of these pathways in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. One approach used has been to generate monoclonal antibodies against T lymphocyte populations from autoimmune lesions, for example, from synovial tissue and synovial fluid derived from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Antibodies are then screened for preferential reactivity with lesional T cells and for functional effects. Using this approach a number of novel T cell surface markers have been identified. The functional roles for these cell surface structures are under active investigation in the laboratory. New systems have been developed to study interactions between lymphocytes and tissue specific cells found in the joint, especially synovial fibroblasts. New monoclonal antibodies are being developed against RA synoviocytes to further investigate immunologic functions of these cells. Finally, the laboratory has developed a method to engineer dendritic cells to express cytokines, such as IL-4, that alter the immune response to antigen and attenuate clinical disease in murine models of inflammatory arthritis. Further investigation of these approaches and their therapeutic potential are underway, focusing on the effects of IL-4 expressing dendritic cells on the function of T cells that produce IL-17. |
Education and Credentialing: |
| Degree: |
M.D., 1978, Harvard University
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| Residency: |
Brigham And Women'S Hospital, 1978-1981, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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| Fellowship: |
Rheumatology,
1982, Brigham and Women's Hospital
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| Certifications: |
Internal Medicine
Rheumatology
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| Language: |
English |
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