University at Buffalo 
Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Clinical and Translational Science InstituteAdvancing research discoveries to improve health for all
CTSI Distinguished Seminar Series
CTSI Distinguished Seminars feature important topics in clinical and translational science presented by outstanding, and sometimes world-renowned, speakers.
Through the Seminar Series, UB's Clinical and Translational Science Institute is partnering with the five health sciences schools and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to sponsor a round of visiting scholars in the forefront of their respective disciplines. The goal is to expose faculty, trainees and students to various pathways in clinical and translational research.
Upcoming Speaker
Autoantibodies in COVID-19
PJ Utz, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Medical Student Research,
Stanford University
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
In-person seminar/Virtual via zoom.
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Autoimmune diseases have long been postulated to be triggered by infections with a diverse cadre of pathogens, including bacteria such as streptococci, viruses including HIV, EBV and dengue, and other microorganisms.
The scale of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has generated large cohorts of patients and extensive banks of biospecimens which has created an unprecedented opportunity to test the hypothesis that a specific pathogen can induce new autoimmune manifestations or can exacerbate pre-existing autoimmunity.
The Utz lab has used multiplexed protein microarrays to characterize autoantibodies in acute COVID-19, long CIVID (termed post acute sequelae of COVID-19, PASC), infections with other respiratory pathogens, and in vaccine responses. Anti-cytokine antibodies (ACA) are commonly observed in severe COVID-19 and in pre-pandemic samples from patients with ARDS. A subset of ACA block cytokine signaling by preventing binding to their cognate receptors.
This talk will focus on the ever-expanding link between autoimmunity and infection.
