Robert Clark, M.D.
Associate Professor

University of Connecticut Health Center
Department of Immunology
263 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06030-1310
Telephone: (860) 679-2179
Fax: (860) 679-1287
email: Rclark@nso2.uchc.edu

Dr. Clark’s laboratory is interested in the cell biology of the T lymphocyte as at relates to autoimmune diseases. The immune response in autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis, as well as animal models for these diseases are studied at the level of the T cell. T cell gene usage, T cell function and activation, and T cell migration and homing are studied using T cell cloning and molecular biological approaches. The understanding of basic T cell function as it relates to autoimmune mediated pathology is the overall goal of this laboratory.

Selected Publications:

Wohlfert E, Callahan M, Clark RB: Resistance to CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells and TGF-b in Cbl-b-/- Mice. J Immunol. 173: 1059-1065, 2004.

Clark RB. The role of PPARs in inflammation and immunity. J Leukocyte Biology 71:388-400, 2002.

Clark RB, Bishop-Bailey D, Estrada-Hernandez T, Hla T, Puddington L, Padula SJ: The nuclear receptor PPARg and immunoregulation. PPARg mediates inhibition of helper T cell responses. J Immunol. 164:1364-1371, 2000.

Clark RB, Grunnet M, Lingenheld E: The generation of encephalitogenic T cell lines from EAE-resistant strains of mice. International Immunol. 9:1415-1422, 1997.

Barbarese E, Soares H, Yang S, Clark RB: Comparison of CNS homing pattern among murine TH cell lines responsive to myelin basic protein. J Neuroimmunol. 39:151-162, 1992.

Padula SJ, Lingenheld EG, Stabach PR, Chou CHJ, Kono DH, Clark RB: Identification of encephalitogenic Vb-4-bearing T cells in SJL mice. Further evidence for the V-region disease hypothesis. J Immunol. 146(3):879-883, 1991.

Ruddle NH, Bergman CM, McGrath MK, Lingenheld EG, Grunnet ML, Padula SJ, Clark RB: An antibody to lymphotoxin and tumor necrosis factor prevents transfer of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. J Exp Med. 11972:1193-1200, 1990.

Wong RL, Ruddle NH, Padula SJ, Lingenheld EG, Bergman CM, Rugen RV, Epstein DI, Clark RB: Subtypes of helper cells: Noninflammatory Type I helper T cells. J Immunol. 141:3329-3334, 1988.

Padula SJ, Sgroi D, Lingenheld EG, Clark RB: A T cell receptor beta chain rearrangement shared by murine T cell lines derived from a site of autoimmune inflammation. J Clin. Invest. 81:1810-1818, 1988.

Sgroi D, Cohen RN, Lingenheld EG, Strong M. K, Binder T, Goldschneider I, Greiner D, Grunnet M, Clark RB: T cell lines derived from the spinal cords of mice with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis are self-reactive. J Immunol. 137:1850-1854, 1986.

Padula SJ, Pollard MK, Lingenheld EG, Clark RB: Maintenance of antigen specificity by human IL-2 dependent T cell lines. Use of antigen presenting cells and OKT3 Antibody in the absence of antigen. J Clin Invest. 75:788-797, 1985.