Dr. Arlene Sharpe

Biography

Arlene Sharpe is a leading figure in the study of T cell costimulatory pathways and their immunoregulatory roles in controlling the balance between T cell activation and tolerance. As the Chair and Kolokotrones University Professor at Harvard Medical School, her research focuses on manipulating T cell costimulatory pathways to enhance immune responses for combating microbial infections and tumors, while also managing autoimmune diseases and achieving tolerance in tissue transplantation. Her lab has employed genetic approaches to uncover the critical functions of these pathways. Significant findings from her research include the discovery of the role of the CD28 homolog ICOS in T cell-dependent B cell responses and insights into the PD-1:PD-L1 pathway, revealing novel mechanisms by which these ligands inhibit T cell function during chronic viral infections. The Sharpe laboratory continues to investigate the regulatory and functional capacities of costimulatory and coinhibitory receptors in various models, with current focuses on the implications of aging on T cell responses.

Research Interests