The Steller lab will use mouse models and human culture systems to investigate how effective the small molecules that they previously identified are for tissue damage caused by chronic inflammation, bacterial pathogens and viruses. These unique small molecules can protect against cell death triggered in response to radiation and inflammation of the gut.
This work will inform drug development for a wide variety of infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases.
Cell death plays an important role in sculpting a developing organism, and in eliminating unwanted and potentially dangerous cells throughout life. Likewise, the degradation of proteins by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is required for both protein quality control and the regulation of myriad cellular processes. Steller studies the role of these pathways in normal development and diseases, including age-related neuronal degeneration and cancer.
