Journal of Immunology and Infectious Diseases

Prof. Subhash Sad started his research career developing antibody responses to hormones. They showed that tolerance to self-molecules can be easily broken by conjugating them to immunogenic proteins.  They showed that induction of antibody response against Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) resulted in atrophy of the prostate, and hence was used successfully as a therapy in androgen-dependent prostate cancer patients. During his post-doctoral studies, he showed that cytokine-secreting subsets of T cells are derived from a common precursor cell that secretes mainly IL-2. My studies further demonstrated CD8+ T cells, similar to CD4+ T cells, can secrete distinct cytokine patterns which can influence their function. He also showed that cytokines can induce a state of “anergy” in T cells, providing novel mechanistic insights into how cytokines might regulate T cell responses in vivo.

Prof. Subhash Sad have been a principal investigator since 1997, and have been evaluating the mechanisms of T cell memory development against acute and chronic intracellular pathogens. His lab has demonstrated that the kinetics, differentiation, maintenance and attrition of T cell responses is highly pathogen-specific and does not follow a universal paradigm. He has revealed novel mechanisms of memory differentiation, erosion, and shown that mutation in key virulence genes, and the intracellular location of pathogen are important determinants of acquired immunity. He is currently deciphering how T cell responses can be modulated to control chronic pathogens. He is also evaluating how the death of macrophages, an important cell type of the innate immune system, influences host outcome during various virulent infections.