Bline Lab
The Bline Lab focuses on the host immune responses to severe lower respiratory tract infections in children, with an emphasis on the role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). MDSC are immature myeloid cells that are able to potently inhibit T lymphocyte and other immune cells that are important for fighting infection. MDSC have been well studied in adults with cancer, and several treatments inhibiting MDSC have shown promise in cancer trials by allowing the patient's own immune system to fight cancer cells. The ultimate goal of the Bline Lab is to better understand the mechanisms of MDSC-mediated immune suppression in children severely ill with lower respiratory tract infections and identify novel treatments in this patient population.
Our Current Project
We enroll children admitted to the hospital with viral respiratory infections and periodically enroll healthy children to compare immune cell populations.
Goal
The goal of this study is to define the role of MDSCs in children with severe lower respiratory tract infections and confirm the PD-L1 pathway as a mechanism of MDSC-mediated T cell suppression in children.
Funding
This work has been funded through NHLBI K23HL171862
Inside the Bline Lab
Our Research
Lower respiratory tract infections are a major cause of death in young children around the world and the most common reason for hospital admission in children younger than 5 years of age in the United States. Supportive care is the current mainstay of treatment for children with viral respiratory tract infections. We are working to better understand how to harness the patient's own immune response to better fight these infections.
We used advanced spectral cytometry, cell isolation, and co-culture methods to do immunophenotyping and perform mechanistic studies in vitro.
Featured Publications
- Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cells and T Cell Populations in Children with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome
- Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells and Clinical Outcomes in Children with COVID-19
- Novel Identification of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in Children With Septic Shock
- Hydrocortisone Treatment Is Associated With a Longer Duration of MODS in Pediatric Patients With Severe Sepsis and Immunoparalysis
- The Role of Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cells in Pediatric Pathology
Collaborate With Us!
If you’re interested in collaboration, please email us at Katherine.Bline@NationwideChildrens.org.
