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acad. V.I.Ioffe
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phone: 7(812) 234-29-29 In 1945 the Department of Microbiology and Immunology was organized under the supervision of V.I.Ioffe. Acad. Vladimir Ioffe laid the foundation of the scientific school of immunology in IEM. In late 1940s and during 1950s its work was aimed at studying of juvenile droplet infections in microbiology and immunology as well as general problems of immunity. Later the Department staff concentrated its attention on chronic infections, primarily of streptococcal etiology, problems of experimental and clinical immunology, as well as problems of general immunology. In 1970-1990 the Department of Immunology was headed by B.N. Sofronov. The study of immunoregulation is a traditional trend of the Department. In the department there are 2 laboratories:
The investigating problems of immunoregulation have concretely defined the main point of the new scientific conception of the role of the early inflammatory response and cytokines in immunoregulation. Members of the laboratory concentrated their attention on investigation monocytes and macrophages. The novelty and original character of the new approach consisted in a wide use of primary and permanent cell cultures that allows the in vitro modelling of the conditions maximally close to those of organism, but having the privilege of a wide analytical access to single cells. A model system of joint cultivation of the endothelial cells and monocytes was worked out approximated to the conditions of interaction of these cells in blood vessels. Different manifestations of biological activity of cytokines are being studied in detail. Special attention is being given to study the effects of different pharmacological agents on the production and activity of cytokines. The model of growth of experimental tumors was used by a doctor of medical sciences E.P. Kiseleva to show that the early macrophage-cytokine response can support the growth of tumor at the expense of stimulation of angiogenesis. The model of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis was used by senior research worker Yu.L. Zhitnukhin in common with the I.P. Pavlov department of physiology in fundamental investigations concerning the role of cytokines in pathogenesis of demyelinizing processes. Constant participation in clinic-immunological investigations, applications of the latest achievements of fundamental immunology and modern immunological methods for the solution of clinical problems is a tradition of the department. Further development of investigations aimed at clarifying the pathogenetic role of cytokines in the development of polyorgan deficiency in children is planned. In 1990-1995 most of experimental studies were focused on investigations of cytokine regulatory nework and reactants of the acute inflammation phase. Cytokine regulatory network is particular significance since it provides interaction of immunocompetent and other cells secretion products - cytokine molecules. Each of the numerous cytokines is connected with its specific receptor on the surface of the target cell. Cytokine signal is transmitted from the receptor on the by means of intracellular transduction to the cell nucleus and its realized, as a rule, by starting the expression of a gene or a group of genes. Cytokines play a certain role in the regulation of such important physiological functions of organism as hemopoiesis, inflammation, immune response. The pathogenetic role of cytokines in different infections, atherosclerosis, autoimmune diseases is actively studied. From a variety of cytokines the tumor necrosis factor and gamma-interferon molecules were selected for thorough investigation. These cytokines are proinflammatory agents, the efficiency of cell protecting and damaging reactions depending on their concentration and activity. Their study is carried out in several directions. On the one hand, these molecules of cytokines and their separate fragments (reproduced in the form of synthetic peptides) are considered to be potential immunomodulators. So, a thorough investigation of different types of their biological activity and purposeful selection of biologically active peptides corresponding to separate fragments of the cytokine molecules are in progress. On the other hand, the levels of cytokine production by cells and cytokine receptor expression in target-cells are studied as indicators of the immune status of organism. The influence of various factors of external and internal environment on intensity of cytokine production and realization of their functions is investigated. In addition, particular attention is given to elucidation of effects of different pharmacological agents on these processes. Besides cytokine interaction with the acute phase reactants and other proteins of blood serum (alpha-2-macroglobulin) is under investigation. Due to the results of these studies possible to formulate the theoretical basis for further applied elaborations aimed at the creation of a method of extracorporal elimination of cytokine excess from biological fluids of organism of patient suffering from damaging factors of these cytokines (septic shock etc.). The investigations supervised by professor P.G.Nazarov are devoted to the immunology of the acute phase of inflammation, the acute inflammation phase proteins in particular: pentraxins (C-reactive protein, serum P component of amyloid, serum amiloid A, complement proteins). Under investigation is the role of pentraxins and other proteins of the acute phase of inflammation in immunoregulation and in immunopathology of atherosclerosis. These investigations have shown that pentraxins play a protective antitoxic role at the early stages of infection. The interaction of C-reactive protein with cytokines were studied. Professor A.V.Polevshchkov heads the comparative-immunological investigations. One of the achievements was substantiation of a new conception of formation of an important factor of congenital immunity - a complement cascade - as an ancient protein molecule cascade A group of young gifted researchers is working to solve this and other actual questions of comparative immunology. The perspectives of further investigations are associated with the use of a new scientific equipment - Epics Altra flow cytometr with flexible cell sorter for high quality cell analysis. The perspectives of further investigation are also associated with the transfer of investigations to the molecular - genetic level, search for direct precursors of complement cascade proteins, cytokine molecules and their receptors at different levels of development of congenital and acquired immunity. It will allow characterization of the initial functions of these molecules that is thought to be a very actual task in the light of wide introduction of immunotherapy methods into clinical practice. |
Head of the department