Research Investigator :: Dr. Daniel J. Moore
Daniel J. Moore, M.D., Ph.D.
Instructor, Department of Pediatrics
Ian Burr Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Vanderbilt University
Research Specialty:
Immunology of Type 1 Diabetes, Transplantation immunology including islet transplantation
Publications: Please click HERE
Research Description:
Dr. Moore's research program focuses on understanding and repairing breakdowns in immune tolerance that occur in people with Type 1 diabetes. His previous research contributed to our understanding of the role played by B lymphocytes in the development of autoimmune disease. This research formed part of the foundation for current efforts to use B cell directed therapies to prevent diabetes, studies in which Vanderbilt is participating through the Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet and for which Dr. Moore is a co-investigator. He is presently extending these studies to understand how B lymphocytes control immune tolerance to transplants and how this cell type participates in broken tolerance in Type 1 diabetes. He anticipates that these studies will reveal the cellular signature of regulatory B cells and will enable us to isolate antigen-specific regulatory B cells for clinical application as a cell-mediated therapy for T1D.
As part of a comprehensive program to understand immune regulation, he also actively investigates the mechanism of action of regulatory T lymphocytes which are critical for the prevention of autoimmune disease and for the establishment of transplantation tolerance. This research has revealed several new interactions required for the development and function of these cells and has identified inflammation as a factor that counter-regulates these regulatory cells. To overcome this obstacle to immune tolerance, he is presently working with the laboratory of Jacek Hawiger, M.D., Ph.D. where they have successfully applied a new kind of anti-inflammatory therapy to the prevention of diabetes in a pre-clinical model of disease. These findings are highlighted in a recent publication from their team in PLOS One; these findings were also recently highlighted by the Faculty of 1000. He is presently extending these studies of anti-inflammatory immunotherapy and is also working to refine the regulatory T cell signature to enhance purification and application of these potent immune regulators in diabetes reversal.
Dr. Moore has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Diabetes Association, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He serves as a reviewer for Diabetes, the Journal of Immunology, the American Journal of Transplantation, and the Annals of the New York Academy of Science. His research has been presented at the Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, and the American Transplant Congress. He has published in the Journal of Immunology, Diabetes, Transplantation International, the Journal of Autoimmunity, Nature Medicine, and other leading journals. His research has also been recognized by the Society for Pediatric Research with the 2007 House Officer Research Award and by Vanderbilt University with the David Karzon, Joe M. Strayhorn and Elliot V. Newman Awards. In 2009, he was named a Vanderbilt Scholar in Diabetes and in 2010, he was awarded the Elliot V. Newman Award.
Dr. Moore was featured in the Children's Hospital special "Where Discovery Brings Hope", which aired on News Channel 5 WTVF on December 10th, 2010 from 7-7:30. The Pediatric Endocrinology segment is excerpted below:
