Susan R. Schwab, Ph.D.

Research

The lipid sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) plays critical roles in the immune system and blood vessel development. S1P is an indispensable guidance cue for B and T cell migration, and has been suggested to act as an inflammatory stimulus in a range of settings. Furthermore, mice that cannot produce S1P die at mid-gestation due to a failure in vascular development, and S1P may promote angiogenesis in the adult. Despite the key roles of this signaling lipid in mammalian biology, we understand little about how its production and distribution are regulated. We are taking a variety of approaches to explore how S1P levels are set, and how S1P affects immunity.