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Dr William Bowers |
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Professor of Pathology and Microbiology
Dr Bowers has recently retired |
Ph.D. Rockefeller University Post-doctoral Fellowships |
Recent Publications |
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Office: 803 733 3275 Fax: 803 733 3192 E-mail: wbowers@med.sc.edu |
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Dendritic cells play a critical role in a number of immunological processes. These recently described cells function as potent antigen presenting cells, act as stimulators of a mixed lymphocyte reaction, and serve as passenger cells that elicit rejection of transplanted tissues. They originate from the bone marrow, sojourn in the blood, and reside in the tissues. Two aspects of dendritic cells are being studied: differentiation from bone marrow in vitro and ability to function as antigen presenting cells in a number of tissues. Under the influence of granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), dendritic cells differentiate from bone marrow precursors over 4-5 days of culture in a serum-free medium. For both rat and mouse, dendritic cells produced in culture differ functionally and phenotypically from their precursors. Studies using monoclonal antibodies and functional assays are aimed at delineating the differentiation pathway and establishing the relationship between dendritic cells and other bone marrow-derived cell types. In addition, dendritic cells are being studied in the eye and lung where special immunological conditions exist. Immune responses do not always occur when antigens are introduced into these tissues, even though dendritic cells are present. We are interested in determining how the immune responses are controlled. |
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