Jeremy Tilstra M.D., Ph.D.

Lupus nephritis is the most common serious complication of lupus. Lupus nephritis can be seen in up to 40% of lupus patients and is more common in pediatric and minority populations. My research focus is to understanding basic signaling mechanisms leading to lupus nephritis. The need for further basic understanding of lupus nephritis is exemplified by the fact that only one new medication has been approved for lupus in the last 50 years and is not indicated for lupus nephritis. Therefore, my work focuses on two distinct pathways to better define this complex disease state. The first is to evaluate the MyD88 signaling pathways in murine lupus. I am assessing several upstream receptors using a reductionist approach and genetic manipulation to determine the roles of TL9, TLR7, and IL-1 signaling on lupus pathogenesis and lupus nephritis. In a secondary project, we are evaluating the interaction between the renal parenchyma and cellular infiltrates to better understand tissue specific effects of autoimmunity in the setting of lupus nephritis.