Ari Molofsky, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Laboratory Medicine
Research Overview: 

Innate and innate-like lymphocytes are recently appreciated tissue-resident immune cells with vital roles in the initiation of tissue inflammatory responses. As early responders during tissue perturbation, these cells are integral in shaping both protective and pathologic immune responses, as well as contributing during normal tissue development and remodeling. We are particularly focused on innate lymphocytes that are associated with type 2 ‘allergic’ immune responses. Through understanding the local signals and micro-environments that regulate type 2 immune responses, we hope to manipulate these pathways to both limit allergic pathology (asthma, allergy, atopic dermatitis) and promote beneficial allergic responses in settings of chronic, low-grade inflammatory diseases (cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease) where we and others have found type 2 immunity to be protective. Our group is using a multifaceted approach focused upon in vivo mouse models, including cytokine reporter/deleter mice, advanced imaging with tissue clearing, flow immunophenotyping, genomics, and pathologic challenges.

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Research Summary: 
Type 2 immunity in organ health and disease

Websites

Featured Publications: 

Interleukin-33 and Interferon-? Counter-Regulate Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cell Activation during Immune Perturbation.

Immunity

Molofsky AB, Van Gool F, Liang HE, Van Dyken SJ, Nussbaum JC, Lee J, Bluestone JA, Locksley RM

Interleukin-33 in Tissue Homeostasis, Injury, and Inflammation.

Immunity

Molofsky AB, Savage AK, Locksley RM

Innate lymphoid type 2 cells sustain visceral adipose tissue eosinophils and alternatively activated macrophages.

The Journal of experimental medicine

Molofsky AB, Nussbaum JC, Liang HE, Van Dyken SJ, Cheng LE, Mohapatra A, Chawla A, Locksley RM

Eosinophils sustain adipose alternatively activated macrophages associated with glucose homeostasis.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

Wu D, Molofsky AB, Liang HE, Ricardo-Gonzalez RR, Jouihan HA, Bando JK, Chawla A, Locksley RM

Cytosolic recognition of flagellin by mouse macrophages restricts Legionella pneumophila infection.

The Journal of experimental medicine

Molofsky AB, Byrne BG, Whitfield NN, Madigan CA, Fuse ET, Tateda K, Swanson MS

Adventitial Stromal Cells Define Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cell Tissue Niches.

Immunity

Dahlgren MW, Jones SW, Cautivo KM, Dubinin A, Ortiz-Carpena JF, Farhat S, Yu KS, Lee K, Wang C, Molofsky AV, Tward AD, Krummel MF, Peng T, Molofsky AB

Astrocyte-derived interleukin-33 promotes microglial synapse engulfment and neural circuit development

Science

Vainchtein, I.D., Chin, G., Cho, F.S., Kelley, K.W., Miller, J.G., Chien, E.C., Liddelow, S.A., Nguyen, P.T., Nakao-Inoue, H., Dorman, L.C., Akil, O., Joshita, S., Barres, B.A., Paz, J.T., Molofsky, A.B., Molofsky, A.V.

Adventitial Cuffs: Regional Hubs for Tissue Immunity.

Trends in immunology

Dahlgren MW, Molofsky AB