Detail

Keywords

Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis; Autoantibodies; Autoimmune Diseases; Autophagy; Cell Biology; Cell Culture Techniques; Kidney; Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 2; Lysosomes; Mice, Transgenic; Microscopy, Confocal; Microscopy, Electron; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Molecular Biology

Research group(s)

• Renal Pathology and Immunopathology
  Members:
  Virginie Hubert
  Renate Kain
  Christopher Kaltenecker

Research interests

My main research is focussed on the pathogenic mechanism responsible for ANCA associated vasculitis (AAV), and specifically on the pathogenicity of autoantibody specific for lysosomal associated membrane protein-2 (LAMP-2) (Kain et al., 2008) which are highly prevalent in those with AAV. Much of my work concentrates on the role of LAMP-2 in macro- and chaperone mediated autophagy since our current data suggest that both of these pathways are disrupted by autoantibodies to LAMP-2 and I am determining the extent to which this is responsible for their pathogenicity. 

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

My expertise includes the broad range of methodologies required for contemporary cellular and molecular biology. These include cell culture, confocal microscopy, lived cells imaging, ELISA, immunoblot, immunofluorescence, PCR, real-time PCR, DNA and RNA analysis, generation of transgenic mouse. To apply these methods, I am using samples (tissue, serum, DNA, cell) from transgenic animal and human patients as well as in vitro models (cell culture).  

Selected publications

1. Hubert, V. et al., 2016. LAMP-2 is required for incorporating syntaxin-17 into autophagosomes and for their fusion with lysosomes. Biology Open, 5(10), pp.1516-1529. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/bio.018648.
2. Voisin, V. et al., 2014. Protection of Wistar-Furth rats against postischaemic acute renal injury: Role for nitric oxide and thromboxane? Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 41(11), pp.911-920. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1440-1681.12298.
3. Kain, R. et al., 2012. High Prevalence of Autoantibodies to hLAMP-2 in Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 23(3), pp.556-566. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2011090920.