Adam Drake

Darke works on the development of humanized mouse models in the Chen lab. Models have been created of:

(*) Vaccination - by combining reconstitution with expression of key human cytokines and growth factors in the mouse.
(*) Leukemia and Lymphoma - by combining reconstitution with lentiviral vector transduction of human HSCs with oncogenes.
(*) Autoimmune disease - by driving the abberant activation of human immune cells in humanized mice.

Drake also works on the T cell: Dendritic cell interaction in humans and mice and its role in viral infection and antiviral immune responses.


(summary updated 11/2011)


Humanized mice - Drake is an expert in the creation of immune compromised mice engrafted with human immune systems derived from hematopoeitic stem cells.

Culture of human HSCs - Drake is an expert in feeder cell free and co-culture of HSCs.

Lentiviral vector infection of HSCs - Drake has developed lentiviral transduction of cultured HSCs.

Human Leukemia and Lymphoma - Drake's interest focuses on creating genetic models of Leukemia and Lymphoma by transduction of human HSCs.

Human and mouse innate and adaptive immunity - Drake has extensive knowledge of human and mouse T cells and dendritic cells as well as their interactions.

Virus/Immune system interactions - Drake is interested in the interaction of viruses with the innate and adaptive immune system and how these interactions lead to pathogenesis as well as successful or failed vaccines and therapies.