Robert L. Rubin, Ph.D.
Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
University of New Mexico School of Medicine
915 Camino de Salud NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131

Office: BRF 323C

Tel: (505) 272-4640
Fax: (505) 272-6029
E-mail: RLRubin@salud.unm.edu

Keywords: T cell tolerance and autoimmunity, T cell development in the thymus, chromatin antigenicity, systemic and drug-induced lupus

Research Interests

T Lymphocytes are normally tolerant to the cells, tissues and molecules that characterize our self-constituents as a result of “education” processes associated with T cell development in the thymus. However, in autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus T cells appear that react to various self-molecules, indicating that T cell tolerance mechanisms have failed. A lupus-like disease can also be induced by chronic exposure to certain medications, and our studies suggest that these drugs act to prevent the acquisition of self-tolerance during T cell development in the thymus (figure).

We are studying the cellular and molecular basis for the capacity of lupus-inducing drugs to disrupt central T cell tolerance. This work employs mouse thymocytes undergoing development in in vitro model systems that mimic some of the process taking place in the thymus. CD4⁺CD8⁺ immature thymocytes transgenic for a T cell antigen receptor specific to a peptide from pigeon cytochrome c are induced to differentiate into mature CD4⁺ T cells in the presence of analogs of the cognate peptide. We are investigating the capacity of various drugs and environmental agents to enhance the responsiveness of cells undergoing selection in this system, a measure of autoreactivity. We are also interested in characterizing the gene products associated with compromised T cell function.

In related work we have developed a mouse model for drug-induced lupus in which autoreactive T cells and anti-chromatin autoantibodies develop after injection of a lupus-inducing drug into the thymus. This animal model will be useful in understanding the immunopathogenesis of this type of autoimmune disease as well as the origin of autoreactive B cells that have the same specificity as those is systemic lupus erythematosus.

Recent Publications

Kretz-Rommel, A. and Rubin, R. L. (1999) Persistence of autoreactive T cell drive is required to elicit anti-chromatin antibodies in a murine model of drug-induced lupus. J. Immunol. 162, 813-820.

Kretz-Rommel, A. and Rubin, R. L. (2000) Disruption of positive selection of thymocytes causes autoimmunity. Nature Medicine 6, 298-305.

Kretz-Rommel, A. and Rubin, R. L. (2001) Early cellular events in systemic autoimmunity driven by chromatin-reactive T cells. Cellular Immunology 208, 125-136.

Rubin, R. L., Salomon, D. R. and Guerrero, R. S. (2001) Thymus function in drug-induced lupus. Lupus 10, 795-801.

Rubin, R.L. and Kretz-Rommel, A. (2001) A non-deletional mechanism for central T cell tolerance. Critical Reviews in Immunology, 21, 29-40.

Rubin, R. L., Teodorescu, M., Beutner, E. H., and Plunkett, R.W. (2004) Complement-fixing properties of antinuclear antibodies distinguish drug-induced lupus from systemic lupus erythematosus, Lupus 13: 249-256.

Rubin, R. L. and Kretz-Rommel, A. (2004) Drug-Induced Autoimmunity. In Stem Cell Therapy of Autoimmune Disease, R.K. Burt and A. Marmont, eds, R.G. Landes Biosciences, Georgetown, TX, 173-181.

Rubin, R. L. Antihistone antibodies. (2004) In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, 4^th  edition, R.G. Lahita, ed., Elsevier Academic Press, San Diego, 325-348.

Teodorescu, M., Ustiyan V., Russo, K. and Rubin, R. L. (2004) Binding to histone of an anomalous IgG from patients with SLE and drug-induced lupus, J. Clin. Immunol. 110:145-153.

Rubin, R. L. and. Hermanson, T. M.  (2005) Plasticity in the positive selection of T cells: affinity of the selecting antigen and IL-7 affect T cell responsiveness, International Immunology 17: 959-971.

Rubin, R. L. (2005) Drug-induced lupus, Toxicology, 209: 135-147.

Rubin, R. L. (in press) Central and peripheral tolerance, In Autoantibodies and Autoimmunity: Molecular Mechanisms in Health and Disease, K. M. Pollard, ed., Wiley-VCH.

Rubin, R. L., Hermanson, T. M., Bedrick, E. J., McDonald, J. D., Burchiel, S.W., Reed, M. D. and Sibbitt, W. L. (2005) Effect of cigarette smoke on autoimmunity in murine and human systemic lupus erythematosus, Toxicological Sciences, 87: 86-96.