Donald R Branch, PhD

Affiliate Scientist, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute (TGHRI)
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http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8974-2451
Keywords: signal transduction, HIV pathogenesis, transfusion medicine

Dr. Branch's current interests can be broken down into 6 main areas:

  • Signalling involving tyrosine kinases
  • Signalling in HIV/AIDS pathogenesis and disease resistance
  • Mechanism of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) effect in autoimmune inflammatory diseases
  • Replacement of high-dose IVIg in autoimmune/inflammatory diseases
  • Mechanism(s) of action of recombinant Fc multimers to ameliorate rheumatoid arthritis in a mouse model
  • Studies using monocytes and M1/M2 macrophages to understand red blood cell destruction in diseases involving eyrptosis and hyperhemolysis

Current projects include:

  • The function of Ableson tyrosine kinases in HIV infection
  • The function of spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk)-family in HIV infection
  • The role of signalling through the VPAC family of neuroendocrine receptors on HIV infection and resistance to infection
  • Identification of novel treatment modalities for HIV/AIDS
  • The mechanism of IVIG and recombinant Fc multimer treatment for amelioration of autoimmune inflammatory diseases
  • Drug discovery for small molecular weight molecules that inhibit phagocytosis
  • Use of in vitro phagocytosis assays to aid in predicting probability of hemolysis in patients requiring blood transfusion
Eluates from DAT-positive patients with or without hemolysis after high-dose IVIG yield predominantly IgG isoagglutinins of IgG2 subclass.
Transfusion. 2019 May;59(5):1882-1883
Yung GP, Seebach JD, Baerenzung N, Pendergrast J, Cserti-Gazdewich C, Branch DR
A GYPB variant encoding an altered leader peptide leads to a weak S phenotype.
Transfusion. 2019 Mar 30;:
Cote J, Cen S, Fennell K, Pambrun C, Branch DR, Ochoa-Garay G
Serologic problems associated with administration of intravenous immune globulin (IVIg).
Immunohematology. 2019 Jan;35(1):13-15
Branch DR
Immunotherapy: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the really ugly.
Transfusion. 2019 Feb;59(2):437-440
Branch DR
The first case of severe acute hemolytic transfusion reaction caused by anti-Sc2.
Transfusion. 2018 Oct 09;:
Lemay AS, Tong TN, Branch DR, Huang M, Sumner C, Oldfield L, Hawes J, Cserti-Gazdewich CM, Lau W
The Monocyte Monolayer Assay: Past, Present and Future.
Transfus Med Rev. 2018 Aug 08;:
Tong TN, Cen S, Branch DR
GPIbα is required for platelet-mediated hepatic thrombopoietin generation.
Blood. 2018 May 24;:
Xu M, Li J, Neves MAD, Zhu G, Carrim N, Yu R, Gupta S, Marshall J, Rotstein O, Peng J, Hou M, Kunishima S, Ware J, Branch DR, Lazarus A, Ruggeri ZM, Freedman J, Ni H
Evaluation of the functional properties of cryopreserved buffy coat-derived monocytes for monocyte monolayer assay.
Transfusion. 2018 May 09;:
Kipkeu BJ, Shyian ML, da Silveira Cavalcante L, Duong TT, Yeung RSM, Binnington B, Branch DR, Acker JP, Holovati JL
GM-CSF and IL-4 are not involved in IVIG-mediated amelioration of ITP in mice: a role for IL-11 cannot be ruled out.
Clin Exp Immunol. 2018 Apr 28;:
Lewis BJB, Leontyev D, Neschadim A, Blacquiere M, Branch DR
Red blood cells, still vital after all these years: Commentary on Canadian Blood Services' International Symposium 2017.
Transfus Apher Sci. 2018 Apr 19;:
Qadri SM, Donkor DA, Yan M, Ning S, Branch DR, Seghatchian J, Sheffield WP

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Affiliate Scientist, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute (TGHRI)

Professor, Department of Medicine and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto
Scientist, Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services