Nicole Wandrey

Maintaining immune homeostasis requires a delicate balance between numerous factors in the body. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a protein that functions as a master regulator of immune responses, resulting in stimulation or suppression of the immune system based upon exposure to IL-2 and the differential expression of IL-2 receptor subunits on distinct cell types. IL-2 is currently FDA approved as a therapeutic for cancers and autoimmune disease, but use is limited by the pleiotropic activity of IL-2. Other cytokines are also implicated in cancer and autoimmune disease, with monoclonal antibodies currently used as therapeutics. The Mehta lab has developed a novel platform for directed evolution in human B cells. My project utilizes this platform to evolve higher specificity cytokine variants. Controlling the differential pharmacology of cytokines could selectively inhibit disease states without impacting beneficial effector functions in the immune system.