Leonard Louis Dragone
MD, PhD
- Department of Pediatrics
- Integrated Department of Immunology
- Assistant Professor of Pediatric Rheumatology
- Website Address
- Dragone Research Lab
- Gender
- Male
Specialties
Pediatrics
Autoimmune Diseases and Rheumatoid Conditions
Connective Tissue Disorder, Cyclic Fever Syndromes, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Scleroderma, Sjogren's Disease, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus), Vasculitis
Research
Autoimmunity/Rheumatology, Basic Immunology, Pediatric Rheumatology
Affiliation with University of Colorado Denver
My primary academic appointments are in the Department of Pediatrics at UCHSC and Denver Children’s Hospital, with secondary appointments in the Department of Pediatrics at NJC and the Integrated Department of Immunology.
Professional Memberships/Societies
AAAS, AAP, ACR, AAI, CARRA
Publications by This Author
Link to Faculty Publications
Link to PubMed for more papers
Board Certified
Pediatrics, Pediatric Rheumatology
Research Interests
I am interested in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity and how alterations in lymphocyte signaling could lead to disease.
I study a family of adaptor proteins that negatively regulate lymphocyte signaling. Src-like adaptor proteins (SLAP and SLAP-2) have sequence similarity to src-family kinases but no intrinsic kinase activity. We hypothesize that these negative regulators are important in determining the level of expression of T-cell receptor (TCR) and B-cell receptor (BCR) on the surface of lymphocytes influencing the strength of signaling via the TCR and BCR. Association of SLAP family members with c-Cbl is intriguing, and implicate them as adaptors of E3-ubiquitin ligase associating with activated components of the TCR and BCR complex and targeting them for internalization and degradation.
Recently, regulation of activated components of the BCR and TCR by E3-ubiquitin ligase activity has been implicated in anergy induction and experiments are ongoing to define the role of SLAP family members in that process. Understanding how components of the TCR and BCR signaling complexes are regulated and how alterations in that process play a role in the pathogenesis of disease is an emerging area of lymphocyte biology. Defining the biochemical pathway in which SLAP family members function may elucidate novel drug targets and lead to new therapies for patients with immune disregulation leading to immunodeficiency, autoimmunity or malignancy.
Service
Education & Training
Education
- University of Rochester, Rochester New York
- MD, PhD, 1996
Residencies
- University of California San Francisco
- Pediatric Chief Resident, 1999-2000
- University of California, San Francisco
- Pediatrics, 1996-1999
Fellowships
- University of California, San Francisco
- 2000-2003
Recent or Important Publications
Peterson, L., Wells, D., Shaw, L.A., Harbeck, R., Valez, M.G., and Dragone, L.L. Novel method for quantitative ANA measurement using near-infrared imaging. J Immunol Methods. 2009 Sep 30;349(1-2):1-8.
Dragone, L.L*, Shaw, L.A., Myers, M.D., and Weiss, A. SLAP, a regulator of immunoreceptor ubiquitination, signaling, and trafficking. Immunological Reviews. 2009; Nov 232: 218–228. (*Corresponding author)
Dragone, L.L, Myers, M.D., White, C., Sosinowski, T, and Weiss, A. (2006) SRC-like adaptor protein regulates B cell development and function. J. Immunol. Jan 1;176(1):335-45.
Myers, M.D., Sosinowski, T., Dragone, L.L., White, C., Band, H., Gu, H., and Weiss, A. (2006) Src-Like Adaptor Protein regulates TCR expression on thymocytes by adapting c-Cb l to the TCR complex. Nature Immunology. Jan;7(1):57-66.
Myers, M.D., Dragone L.L, and Weiss, A (2005) Src-like adaptor protein (SLAP) downregulates TCR/CD3 expression by preventing recycling of the TCR/CD3 complex. (2005) J Cell Biol. Jul 18;170(2):285-94.
