
Kenneth Dorshkind, Ph.D.
Bio
Kenneth Dorshkind, Ph.D., studies how blood-forming stem cells give rise to B and T lymphocytes, immune cells that are central to the function of the immune system. He hopes that learning more about early lymphocyte development will provide a basis for understanding the causes of certain blood cancers, such as leukemia, and reveal how age-related declines in lymphocyte production affect immunity in the elderly.
B cells are produced in the bone marrow and T cells are produced in the thymus, which is located in front of the heart. Dorshkind aims to identify the internal and external signals that regulate the initial formation of these crucial immune cells during fetal development and to understand how aging compromises the generation of new lymphocytes. Recent work from his lab has provided insights into the initial development of immune cells in the fetus. These efforts resulted in the identification of a precursor for a specialized type of B lymphocyte, referred to as a B-1 B cell, which plays a key role in protection against certain bacterial infections. His work has also shown that the process of lymphocyte development is regulated by different genes and molecules in fetal development versus adulthood. These studies are also uncovering the origins of B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), which is the most common childhood cancer. Many of the genetic mutations that underlie this cancer begin during fetal development, and the Dorshkind laboratory has shown that cases of B-ALL that originate in B-1 precursors are highly aggressive.
Another key aim of the Dorshkind lab's research is to define the cellular and molecular changes that result in the age-related decline in lymphocyte production. He is particularly interested in how the increased production of inflammatory cytokines – chemical messengers that promote inflammation – contributes to this altered pattern of blood cell production. He hopes the findings from this work will inform the development of new therapies that rejuvenate the aging immune system by increasing the generation of lymphocytes.
Dorshkind earned a doctorate in biological structure from University of Washington and completed post-doctoral training at the Ontario Cancer Institute in Ontario, Canada.
Publications
- Differential expression of PU.1 and key T lineage transcription factors distinguishes fetal and adult T cell developmentPublished in The Journal of Immunology on Thursday, March 15, 2018
- Distinct genetic programs orchestrate the emergence of distinct waves of B-1 and B-2 progenitor developmentPublished in Immunity on Tuesday, September 20, 2016
- Murine B-1 B cell progenitors initiate B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia with features of high-risk diseasePublished in The Journal of Immunology on Sunday, June 1, 2014
- Causes, consequences, and reversal of immune system agingPublished in The Journal of Clinical Investigation on Friday, March 1, 2013
- B-1 B cell development in the fetus and adultPublished in Immunity on Friday, January 27, 2012
- Reduced production of B-1–specified common lymphoid progenitors results in diminished potential of adult marrow to generate B-1 cellsPublished in PNAS on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
- Aging and cancer resistance in lymphoid progenitors are linked processes conferred by p16Ink4a and ArfPublished in Genes & Development on Saturday, November 15, 2008
- Identification of a B-1 B cell–specified progenitorPublished in Nature Immunology on Sunday, January 22, 2006
Honors & Affiliations
Honors
- Walford Lectureship, UCLA, 2018
- MERIT Award, National Institutes of Health, 2009
Affiliations
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program Area, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
- UCLA Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology Graduate Programs in Bioscience Home Area
- American Association of Immunologists
Funding
Dorshkind’s research is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institute on Aging.