Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), a blood product made from human antibodies derived from donor plasma, is an effective treatment for many severe inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. We do not understand exactly why or how it works in many conditions. Understanding the precise "whys" of how the treatment works will allow for better treatment options, because it will be able to be prescribed for those conditions that most warrant it. Furthermore, synthetic drugs that do the same things as IVIg may be developed with this knowledge. We have discovered a potential explanation for how IVIg works, by acting on immune system cells called dendritic cells to change how they activate other parts of the immune system. By examining how IVIg affects specific molecules on the dendritic cells known as Notch ligands, we will be able to comprehend how to tailor the anti-inflammatory response obtained by treatment, allowing for better therapies for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.