Research Focus
Larry S. Schlesinger, MD, is an internationally recognized authority in infectious diseases with a particular interest in tuberculosis and lung biology. As a physician scientist, his studies focus on the pathogenesis of tuberculosis and other airborne infectious agents that subvert lung immune mechanisms. TB is the deadliest infectious disease in the world.
Inside the Lab
Dr. Schlesinger and his research team have made major discoveries about the human immune response to pathogens, and he is translating these into host-directed drug discovery platforms. His laboratory studies innate immunity to these infectious pathogens by focusing on their interactions with human mononuclear phagocytes, which are cells that protect the body by ingesting harmful cells, bacteria or foreign particles.
Another focus of Dr. Schlesinger’s work is understanding how the alveolar (air compartments of the lung) environment affects the biology of alveolar macrophages (white blood cells) in ways that directly impact the host response to airborne infectious agents. Alveolar macrophages are considered an important boundary between the body and the outside world.
Dr. Schlesinger is also interested in the impact of diabetes on the immune response to M. tuberculosis, susceptibility to infection, and new imaging and drug discovery platforms for mycobacteria.
In the area of aging and tuberculosis, Dr. Schlesinger’s research team is studying the unique signature of the baseline inflammatory monocyte/macrophage in the setting of aging. This type of baseline inflammation is also seen in other disease states, making this research broadly applicable and important to pursue.
Main Technologies and Methods Used
- Macrophage cell biology
- Confocal microscopy
- Immunology: flow cytometry, Western blot, ELISA
- qRT-PCR, Gene knockdown, network analysis
- Bacteriology