Overview
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This image from a light microscope shows many eosinophils from human blood that have been stained with Wright-Geimsa. The eosinophils are distinctive for the brilliant red-pink in the cytoplasm around the bi-lobed purple-blue nucleus. This red stain is associated with the intensely basic granules in the cytoplasm of eosinophils. Other cells showing pale blue cytoplasms are lymphocytes (few) with simple circular dark blue nuclei and monocytes (few) with more complex, dark blue nuclei. A neutrophil (segmented purple-blue nucleus, light pink cytoplasm) and a basophil (segmented purple-blue nucleus, dark red/purple granules) are also present. Original magnification, X400.
Eosinophils from human blood
The Allergic Diseases Research Laboratory (ADRL) investigates the mechanisms of common airway and skin diseases, such as asthma, hay fever, atopic dermatitis, and chronic rhinosinusitis. Certain types of immune (white blood) cells, especially the cells known as eosinophils and lymphocytes, are probably important in causing and exacerbating these diseases.
Our long-term goals are to find new treatments and ultimately to find cures for these diseases.
To accomplish these goals will require a better understanding of the immunological mechanisms that produce symptoms in patients. The ADRL focuses on studying eosinophils and other immunoregulatory cells, such as dendritic cells and NK cells. Questions being studied include the following. What are the molecular mechanisms involved in eosinophil activation and degranulation? What leads to and exacerbates Th2-like (Th2 cells are lymphocytes that mediate allergies) airway inflammation? What are the connections between the immune responses in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and common environmental fungi? What are the connections among dendritic cells, NK cells, common environmental fungi, and the dysregulated immune response in asthma?