Deciphering MHC-I antigen presentation in vivo
The majority of studies on MHC-I antigen presentation have been performed using cultured cancer cell lines or bulk tissues, limiting our understanding of cell type or disease specific patterns of antigen presentation in vivo. In the Jaeger Lab, we utilize sophisticated mouse models to isolate MHC-I complexes from specific cell types in the native tissue microenvironment.
Linking translational dynamics with antigen presentation
Which proteins are selected for antigen presentation? The relationship between protein synthesis and antigen presentation is not well understood. Non-canonical translation events are known to produce peptides for antigen presentation. We have multiple projects in the lab looking to understand the relationship between protein synthesis and antigen presentation: evaluating pharmacological interventions that perturb this relationship and examining whether MHC-I antigens are being derived from non-coding regions of the genome.
Uncovering the interactions between MHC-II and the tumor microenvironment
MHC-II primarily presents peptides derived from exogenous proteins taken up by the cell, but the role of class II sampling in cancer is poorly understood. To address this need, the Jaeger lab has adapted our existing Cre-inducible mouse models to tag MHC-II in vivo, allowing us to examine unique peptides presented on MHC-II in cancer and ask how changes to the tumor microenvironment effect the presentation of these peptides.
