Forming a Better Understanding of Castleman Disease and other Cytokine Storm Disorders

Scientists at the CSTL conduct research across many subfields of science with the goal of improving the diagnosis, treatment, and management of Castleman Disease and other cytokine storm disorders. Our group is unique in that instead of focusing on one experimental technique, or subfield, our lab uses multiple techniques and technologies to study Castleman disease (and related diseases) from multiple angles. To fulfill this goal, the CSTL recruits scientists from different backgrounds and expertise such as basic bench research, biobanking, and data analysis. 

Our interests include elucidating the etiology, dysregulated cell types, signaling pathways, and effector cytokines in idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) and related cytokine storm disorders; identifying effective treatments for iMCD patients; PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling in iMCD; understanding the role of stromal cells and chemokines in iMCD.

Our research projects are divided into five major broad categories: Defining CD and its clinico-pathology; Etiology of CD; Pathophysiology; Treatment effectiveness studies; and rare-disease sample acquisition methodologies.