Voss Lab
About Us
The Voss lab studies both clinical samples from patients with autoimmune diseases and mouse models of those disease to understand how metal metabolism could be targeted to correct their immune responses. Using unbiased genetic CRISPR-Cas9 screening in immune cells such as T cells, we discover which metabolic genes are important for their survival and function while they attack healthy tissues. Our long-term goal is to use these basic discoveries to target those genes with drugs or immunotherapies to favor anti-inflammatory cells over inflammatory cells in these patients and improve their quality of life.
Lab Interests
Autoimmune diseases under investigation:
Type 1 diabetes (T1D)
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colitis
Iron Metabolism
We are especially interested in iron metabolism of immune cells. Iron is essential to every cell in our body, but too much iron is toxic and can lead to a form of cell death called ferroptosis. It is not known how changes in iron metabolism in different people such as iron deficiency anemia or iron overload disorders could impact their immune systems.