Programmed death-1-Programmed death-1 ligand (PD-1-PDL-1) pathway in the New Zealand Black x New Zealand white murine model: a molecular approach

Maida Wong, M.D., has a personal vendetta against lupus. When she was in medical school, her father was diagnosed with lupus and died shortly thereafter. Her passion to discover a cure for lupus is personal.

Dr. Wong’s research will study the molecular pathway of lupus using a mouse model. Studies have shown that mutation in the gene responsible for this particular pathway results in increased susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) in humans and in mice. Dr. Wong is continuing her work manipulating the programmed death-1 (PD-1) gene, testing to see if PD-1 regulation could represent a target to preserve immune tolerance and prevent autoimmunity in lupus.