Joyce Ellen Rauch

Research Interests

Induction of autoantibodies and pathology in systemic lupus erythematosus

Research Orientation

My research focuses on understanding the induction and pathogenesis of autoantibodies in autoimmune disease, particularly, anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).  APS occurs primarily in individuals with SLE, and is defined by the presence of anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL) and a clinical event (e.g., thrombosis).  However, it is unclear why only some patients with aPL develop clinical events.  We propose that aPL alone are insufficient to cause thrombotic events, and that a concomitant trigger of innate immunity (e.g., toll-like receptor activation) is required.  We use both in vitro and in vivo models to study the role of the innate immune system in the induction and pathogenesis of APS and SLE.  Collaborative studies using clinical specimens are also an important component of the research in my laboratory, and complement the studies using murine models.