Jody L. Baron, MD, PhD
Research Interests
Our research group studies basic mechanisms involved in immunopathogenesis of acute and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, as well as basic principles in both innate and adaptive immunity to viral pathogens. By identifying the role of both innate and adaptive immunity in HBV clearance and virus-induced liver damage, we hope to develop strategies for therapeutic intervention. Our approach is to model hepatitis B pathogenesis in mice, to explore candidate mechanisms, and to test their applicability to human disease. Such inter-species experimental transitions are crucial to definitively understanding human disease pathogenesis. New results from our mouse models have revealed disease mechanisms that we believe are likely involved in human HBV immunopathogenesis. The hypotheses formulated from these results have recently provided our laboratory the exciting opportunity to launch our first human studies in pursuit of our goals.
Selected Publications
- Baron JL, Gardiner L, Nishimura S, Locksley R, Ganem D. Activation of a non-classical NKT cell subset in a transgenic mouse model of hepatitis B virus infection. Immunity 2002;16:583-594.
- Matsuda JL, Gapin L, Baron JL, Sidobre S, Stetson DB, Mohrs M, Locksley RM, Kronenberg M. Mouse V alpha 14i natural killer T cells are resistant to cytokine polarization in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2003;100:8395-400.
- Stetson DB, Mohrs M, Reinhardt RL, Baron JL, Wang ZE, Gapin L, Kronenberg M, Locksley RM. Constitutive Cytokine mRNAs Mark Natural Killer (NK) and NK T cells Poised for Rapid Effector Function. J Exp Med 2003;198:1069-1076.
- Villarinho S, Ogasawara K, Nishimura S, Lanier LL, Baron JL. Blockade of NKG2D on NKT cells prevents hepatitis and the acute immune response to Hepatitis B Virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2007;104 :18187-92.
- Assistant Professor
- Medicine/Gastroenterology
Research Theme
- Liver Injury and Repair
Contact Information
- Jody.baron@
ucsf.edu - Phone: (415) 476-5728
- Fax: (415) 476-0659
- 513 Parnassus Ave.
- Box 0538, Room S 357C
- San Francisco, CA 94143
Other UCSF Affiliations
- BMS Graduate Program