Sandra McLachlan, PhD
Research Scientist, Thyroid Autoimmunity Laboratory
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Academic Appointments
Awards and Activities
| Chairperson Awards committee, American Thyroid Association | 2007 |
| Sydney Ingbar Lecture and Award, American Thyroid Association | 2004 |
| Director, American Thyroid Association | 2003 |
| Executive committee European Thyroid Association | 1997 |
| Editorial Board: Thyroid | Current |
| Editorial Board: J Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism | 1991 - 1995 |
| American Thyroid Association | 1985 |
| Endocrine Society | 1991 |
Research Focus
Molecular and cellular investigation of immune responses to thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin (Hashimoto thyroiditis) and the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR; Graves disease); cloning human autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin (for antibody epitopic analysis); murine model of Graves disease (self tolerance and genetic susceptiblity).
Research Contributions
a) Established the contribution of thyroid-infiltrating vs circulating lymphocytes to thyroid autoantibodies in humans; b) Cloned the repertoire of human thyroid peroxidase auto-antibodies and characterized the immunodominant region; c) Established the most efficient approach for murine Graves¿ disease; perfomed the first whole genome scan in this model.
Current investigations include:
a) Mouse model of induced Graves disease - tolerance to transgenic human TSHR and role of Aire; genetic susceptibility to induced disease; b) Cellular interactions in T and B lymphocyte responses to the TSHR; c) Structure-function studies of the TSHR.
Selected Publications
- McLachlan SM, Aliesky HA, Pichurin PN, Chen CR, Williams RW, Rapoport B: Shared and unique susceptibility genes in a mouse model of Graves' disease determined in BXH and CXB recombinant inbred mice. Endocrinology, 149(4): 2001-9, 2007
- McLachlan SM, Nagayama Y, Pichurin PN, Mizutori Y, Chen CR, Misharin A, Aliesky HA, Rapoport B: The link between Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis: a role for regulatory T cells. Endocrinology, 148(12): 5724-33, 2007
- Aliesky HA, Pichurin PN, Chen CR, Williams RW, Rapoport B, McLachlan SM: Probing the genetic basis for thyrotropin receptor antibodies and hyperthyroidism in immunized CXB recombinant inbred mice. Endocrinology, 147(6): 2789-800, 2006
- Pichurin PN, Chen CR, Chazenbalk GD, Aliesky H, Pham N, Rapoport B, McLachlan SM: Targeted expression of the human thyrotropin receptor A-subunit to the mouse thyroid: insight into overcoming the lack of response to A-subunit adenovirus immunization. J. Immunol., 176(1): 668-76, 2006
- Chen CR, Pichurin P, Nagayama Y, Latrofa F, Rapoport B, McLachlan SM: The thyrotropin receptor autoantigen in Graves disease is the culprit as well as the victim. J. Clin. Invest., 111(12): 1897-904, 2003
