Assistant Professor of Medicine

Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology

Address:

Shelby Building, Room 511
1825 University Boulevard
35294

Telephone: (205) 975-4643

Fax: (205) 975-3322

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Education:

B.S. (Biology): Vigo University, Spain, 2001
Ph.D. (Microbiology & Immunology): Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain, 2007
Postdoctoral Fellow: Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, NY, 2008
Postdoctoral Fellow: University of Rochester, NY, 2008-2012.

Research Interests

The focus of the research of our laboratory is to study the cellular interactions and the molecular mechanisms that regulate memory T cell formation and T follicular helper cell (Tfh) differentiation in different models of infection. We are particularly interested in how different dendritic cell (DCs) populations program memory CD8+ T cell responses and prime Tfh cell responses after influenza virus infection. In addition, we are studying the role of Tfh cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
(SLE or Lupus) and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We found that IL-2 availability is a critical factor that controls Tfh development in vivo and that exogenous IL-2 administration prevents aberrant accumulation of Tfh and GC B cell in lupus-prone mice. We are now exploring the potential therapeutic use of IL-2 in SLE and RA.

Selected Publications

Ballesteros-Tato, A,  León, B, Graf, BA, Moquin, A, Adams, PS, Lund, FE, Randal, TD. 2012 Interleukin-2 Inhibits Germinal Center Formation by Limiting T Follicular Helper Cell Differentiation.  Immunity. 36: 847-856. PMID:22464171

Leon, B, A Ballesteros-Tato, TD Randall and FE Lund. 2012.Regulation of T(H)2 development by CXCR5+ dendritic cells and lymphotoxin-expressing B cells.Nat Immunol. 13:681-690. PMID:22634865 PMCID:PMC3548431

Leon B, Ballesteros-Tato A, Misra RS, Wojciechowski W, Lund FE. 2012. Unraveling effector functions of B cells during infection: the hidden world beyond antibody production. Infect Disord Drug Targets. 12:213-221 PMID:22394173

Ballesteros-Tato A, Randall TD. 2011. Memory: the incomplete unhappening of differentiation.  Immunity. 35:496-498 PMID:22035843

Ballesteros-Tato, A, B León, FE. Lund and TD. Randall. 2010. Temporal changes in dendritic cell subsets, cross-priming and costimulation via CD70 control CD8⁺ T cells responses to influenza. Nat. Immunol. 11:216-224. PMID:20098442 PMCID:PMC2822886