Dr. Sgourakis’ research focuses on understanding the intricate molecular mechanisms that determine the vast repertoire of peptide antigens displayed by the proteins of the Major Histocompatibility Complex for immune surveillance by T cells and Natural Killer cells.
Adenovirus, a common human virus that usually affects the lungs and causes respiratory tract infections, is an old friend to virologists. They have long studied how this virus interacts with host cells to understand cellular processes and reveal key regulators of cellular functions.
A group of prominent vaccine researchers, including The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute's chief scientific officer, Philip R. Johnson, MD, and the University of Pennsylvania's Stanley Plotkin, MD, recently called for a "human vaccines project" to accelerate the development of vaccines to prevent "major global killers such as AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other infectious diseases."
The Mechanistic Molecular Immunology Lab integrates cutting-edge structural biology and biochemistry tools with functional immunoassays to understand the molecular basis of immune responses to viral infections and tumors, with an emphasis on the development of novel protein-based therapeutics.