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
Isoagglutinin-reduced immunoglobulin retains efficacy in mouse models of immune thrombocytopenia and rheumatoid arthritis and is less likely to cause intravenous immunoglobulin-associated hemolysis.
Transfusion. 2019 Dec 14;:
Cen SY, Branch DR
Using the K/BxN mouse model of endogenous, chronic, rheumatoid arthritis for the evaluation of potential immunoglobulin-based therapeutic agents, including IVIg and Fc-μTP-L309C, a recombinant IgG1 Fc hexamer.
BMC Immunol. 2019 Dec 04;20(1):44
Lewis BJB, Ville J, Blacquiere M, Cen S, Spirig R, Zuercher AW, Käsermann F, Branch DR
Human red blood cell stroma: an alternative to traditional allogeneic adsorption methods.
Transfusion. 2019 Dec;59(12):3736-3745
Wilson EM, Branch DR
Targeting ABL1 or ARG Tyrosine Kinases to Restrict HIV-1 Infection in Primary CD4+ T-Cells or in Humanized NSG Mice.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2019 Dec 01;82(4):407-415
McCarthy SDS, Leontyev D, Nicoletti P, Binnington B, Kozlowski HN, Ostrowski M, Cochrane A, Branch DR, Wong RW
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

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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