The Use of Antibodies to Treat Autoimmune Disease - Dr. Alan Lazarus

In this presentation high school students will first be introduced to the immune system. We will discuss how the immune system is organized and how it functions in healthy individuals. We will then discuss the role of antibodies in the immune system and delve into how they can help protect us from infectious diseases like the common cold or strep throat. We will then introduce the concept of autoimmune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, type I diabetes) discussing how they can affect our body and how they are treated. Finally, we will focus in on antibodies as therapeutics in autoimmune disease with an emphasis on IVIg. Alan H. Lazarus (PhD, McGill University, 1987, Microbiology & Immunology) is a scientist in the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital. He is also a Scientist with The Canadian Blood Services Centre for Innovation and a Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Toronto. His main area of research has been on the mechanism of action of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and other antibody therapeutics in the treatment of autoimmune disease with a focus on the autoimmune disease "immune thrombocytopenia" also known as ITP. He is actively engaged in studying new therapeutic agents to replace or augment IVIg and other antibodies in the treatment of ITP and other autoimmune diseases.