The Ponce School of Medicine proposes to expand our research capabilities by developing a Clinical Immunology-Immunochemistry Program. The objectives of such a program are to (I) initiate a long term multidisciplinary research effort oriented to bridge investigators in Basic and Clinical Sciences, (ii) provides stimulating and competitive research environment to faculty researchers in the area of clinical immunology, (iii) promote faculty development for up-to-date scientific technology, (iv) stimulate our faculty to develop the sense of adventure in new research directions in clinical immunology. Specifically, we intend to develop the basis for a long term project by expanding our research activities in three main areas that we have identified as key and the proposed program can be realistically accomplished. The areas which we are interested involve fungal pneumonitis, effects of cigarette smoking, emotional and surgical stress on the immune system. These areas offer excellent foundation for the proposed program. The proposal also aims to the creation of a research center, which will include the Laboratory of Immunochemistry and the Laboratory of Immunopharmacology. The clinical immunology program will include the existing laboratory of Virology. The Laboratory of Immunochemistry will be the base for the isolation and characterization of target antigens, peptide mapping, monoclonal antibodies, and amino acid sequencing and the development of synthetic peptides for use in immunodiagnosis. The laboratory of Immunopharmacology will be the base of the signaling transducing studies. The Laboratory of Virology will perform the immunoprofiles in target populations. The Laboratory of Immunochemistry will coordinate efforts in conjunction with the Laboratories of Virology and Immunopharmacology to accomplish the goals of the program.
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