Kelly McCall, Ph.D.

Dr. McCall focuses her research on the role of innate immunity and toll-like receptor (TLR) — the proteins that activate immune responses in cells — signaling in the development of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cancer. The autoimmune and inflammatory diseases that McCall’s research currently focuses on include: Type I and Type II Diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), vascular complications of Type I and II Diabetes and cancers associated with chronic inflammation and obesity.

McCall and her team hypothesize that abnormal expression of immune processes in the cells of a target tissue result from a loss of normal transcriptional regulatory process controlling genes important to coordinate growth, function and major histocompatibility recognition by immune cells. This loss initiates autoimmune processes and development of autoimmune diseases.

McCall’s cancer studies focus on the relationship of TLRs and Wnt signal systems — pathways made of proteins that pass signals into a cell through cell surface receptors — their linkages to normal endocrine regulatory processes, the relationship between normal and abnormal growth processes and the induction of TLR and Wnt signaling by viruses, bacteria and tissue injury, including physiologic manipulative procedures.

McCall and her team develop novel drugs that block pathogenic processes. First, they use molecular and cellular biology to study the involvement of signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of these diseases and the action of their newly developed drugs. They then establish drug efficacy in animal models as potential therapeutics to treat these disorders.