Dr. Jensen’s laboratory explores the roles of the interleukin-1 (IL-1) system and epithelial cells in health and disease. The long-term goals are to: 1) identify defective signaling pathways in chronic inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and hepatitis, and 2) develop novel therapies for these diseases.

IL-1 is a pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in inducing, for example, fever, vasodilation, migration of leukocytes and cell differentiation and growth. The IL-1 system comprises a complex network of extracellular proteins, membrane receptors and intracellular signaling molecules. This system regulates the initiation of immune responses by controlling gene expression and cellular phenotypes. While the pro-inflammatory signal transduction pathways (see figure) are complex, an equally elaborate scheme controls these pathways. These anti-inflammatory mechanisms include numerous inhibitory proteins and microRNAs. The intracellular signaling cascade utilized by IL-1 is largely shared by the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Dr. Jensen has discovered several novel proteins in the IL-1 system. Using tissue culture and animal models, the laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms whereby these, and other, proteins function.