Tyler Rice, PhD
Research & Publications
Biography
Research Summary
The human immune system is a complex hierarchy of tissues, cells, and genetic programs that respond to diverse endogenous and environmental stimuli. While previously thought to be immature in utero, the fetal immune system is now known to be surprisingly active during the earliest stages of life, exhibiting signs of activation and immune memory as early as the second trimester of pregnancy. However, the basis of this activated fetal immune state remains unclear. In the Konnikova lab, we are interested in pursuing research that addresses numerous questions with wide-ranging implications for pregnant mothers, newborn babies, and far into adulthood, such as:
Does fetal immune activation lead to adverse outcomes like preterm birth?
Are fetal immune cells specifically reactive to bacterial or viral antigens?
What maternal factors influence fetal immune development?
What are the key metrics of immune health in utero and in early life?
Coauthors
Research Interests
Allergy and Immunology; Bacteria; DNA Viruses; Embryonic and Fetal Development; Autoimmunity; Host Microbial Interactions
Selected Publications
- Commensal microbiota from patients with inflammatory bowel disease produce genotoxic metabolitesCao Y, Oh J, Xue M, Huh WJ, Wang J, Gonzalez-Hernandez JA, Rice TA, Martin AL, Song D, Crawford JM, Herzon SB, Palm NW. Commensal microbiota from patients with inflammatory bowel disease produce genotoxic metabolites. Science 2022, 378: eabm3233. PMID: 36302024, PMCID: PMC9993714, DOI: 10.1126/science.abm3233.
- Interspecies commensal interactions have nonlinear impacts on host immunityRice TA, Bielecka AA, Nguyen MT, Rosen CE, Song D, Sonnert ND, Yang Y, Cao Y, Khetrapal V, Catanzaro JR, Martin AL, Rashed SA, Leopold SR, Hao L, Yu X, van Dijk D, Ring AM, Flavell RA, de Zoete MR, Palm NW. Interspecies commensal interactions have nonlinear impacts on host immunity. Cell Host & Microbe 2022, 30: 988-1002.e6. PMID: 35640610, PMCID: PMC9283318, DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.05.004.
- Autoreactivity in naïve human fetal B cells is associated with commensal bacteria recognitionChen JW, Rice TA, Bannock JM, Bielecka AA, Strauss JD, Catanzaro JR, Wang H, Menard LC, Anolik JH, Palm NW, Meffre E. Autoreactivity in naïve human fetal B cells is associated with commensal bacteria recognition. Science 2020, 369: 320-325. PMID: 32675374, DOI: 10.1126/science.aay9733.
- Enteric Nervous System-Derived IL-18 Orchestrates Mucosal Barrier ImmunityJarret A, Jackson R, Duizer C, Healy ME, Zhao J, Rone JM, Bielecki P, Sefik E, Roulis M, Rice T, Sivanathan KN, Zhou T, Solis AG, Honcharova-Biletska H, Vélez K, Hartner S, Low JS, Qu R, de Zoete MR, Palm NW, Ring AM, Weber A, Moor AE, Kluger Y, Nowarski R, Flavell RA. Enteric Nervous System-Derived IL-18 Orchestrates Mucosal Barrier Immunity. Cell 2020, 180: 50-63.e12. PMID: 31923399, PMCID: PMC7339937, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.12.016.
- Signaling via pattern recognition receptors NOD2 and TLR2 contributes to immunomodulatory control of lethal pneumovirus infection.Rice TA, Brenner TA, Percopo CM, Ma M, Keicher JD, Domachowske JB, Rosenberg HF. Signaling via pattern recognition receptors NOD2 and TLR2 contributes to immunomodulatory control of lethal pneumovirus infection. Antiviral Res 2016, 132: 131-40. PMID: 27312104, DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2016.06.002.