Group Members

Nathaniel Bloodworth

Current Post-Doctoral Fellow

MD at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and PhD at Vanderbilt University, USA
nathaniel.c.bloodworth.1 [ at ] vumc.org

Research Interests:

• hypertension and immunity
• non-canonical amino acids
• in silico neoantigen screening
• isolevuglandins

Research Description:

Inflammation is an important component in hypertension pathogenesis, and serves to drive both disease progression and downstream complications such as hypertensive nephropathy. Data collected from mice suggest that the presentation of isolevuglandin (isoLG)-modified self-peptides by MHC-I-Db expressing antigen-presenting cells to CD8 T cells is a critical immunologic step in hypertension progression and sequalae. However, the identity(ies) of these isoLG-modified peptides, and the proteins they originate from, are unknown. My research aims to combine available bioinformatics tools, in silico peptide and protein modeling software (Rosetta), and both in vitro and in vivo screening techniques to determine the identity of these neoantigens and to develop interventions to inhibit their processing, presentation, or immunogenicity. Furthermore, we hope to extend the in silico protocols developed here to identify neoantigens containing a variety of non-canonical amino acids for diseases beyond hypertension.

Publication Link:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Y5OYd5UAAAAJ&hl=en