Andrew Snow Ph.D.

Education

B.S., Biology, Visual Arts, Duke University
Ph.D., Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine
Postdoctoral Training, Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH

Biography

My current research program focuses on how genetic and molecular aberrations in antigen receptor signaling pathways contribute to changes in lymphocyte survival, differentiation and function, informed by human monogenic disorders associated with immune dysregulation and/or immunodeficiency. For example, we discovered and characterized inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) caused by germline mutations in CARD11, a lymphocyte-specific scaffold protein required for antgen receptor signaling. Whereas heterozygous gain-of-function (GOF) variants give rise to a selective B cell lymphoproliferative disorder known as BENTA, loss-of-function, dominant negative (DN) variants primarily manifest in severe allergic disease known as CARD11-associated Atopy with Dominant Interference of NF-kB Signaling (CADINS). In addition to ongoing mechanistic investigations of how such GOF/LOF variants specifically alter antigen receptor signaling pathways and downstream functions, our lab serves as a global referral center for functional validation of CARD11 variants of unknown significance (VUS) referred from clinicians caring for undiagnosed IEI patients.

Beyond CARD11, Dr. Nathan Boggs (MED) and I also initiated a protocol in 2022 for studying undiagnosed IEI patients within the Military Health System (MHS), powered by whole genome and RNA sequencing of all enrollees in collaboration with The American Genome Center. Our goal is to identify known and novel pathogenic genetic defects in IEI patients to increase diagnosis rates and enhance clinical care for this underserved population. We have enrolled >150 patients to date, and have confirmed prior or new genetic diagnoses for ~35% of enrollees. Particular emphasis is placed on patients with mast cell disorders, for which Walter Reed serves a Center of Excellence under Dr. Boggs' leadership. Mastocytosis disorders are largely driven by GOF mutations in c-KIT - in support of this work, our lab is developing novel assays for functionally validating KIT VUSs.

Finally, our lab continues to interrogate how sensitivity to activation/restimulation-induced cell death (AICD/RICD) is calibrated in human effector T cell subsets via changes in T cell receptor signaling, gene transcription, and metabolic reprogramming. RICD is a critical apoptosis program that maintains immune homeostasis by constraining effector T cell expansion, including deletion of self-reactive T cells in the periphery. This work began with our discovery that RICD is defective in patients with X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome (XLP-1), who are susceptible to life-threatening, excessive CD8+ T cell accumulation and immunopathology. XLP-1 patient T cells lack SLAM-associated protein (SAP), which we found is required for optimal RICD; our lab has defined molecular mechanisms by which SAP facilitates RICD sensitivity via TCR signal amplification. We are now employing state-of-the-art multiparameter analysis tools (e.g. spectral flow cytometry, scRNA-seq) to determine why RICD sensitivity is so variable across healthy human donors. Ultimately, our goal is to elucidate new therapeutic targets for restoring homeostasis in myriad immune disorders by tuning RICD sensitivity in human T cells, which extends to optimization of current adoptive T cell therapies.

Career Highlights: Positions, Projects, Deployements, Awards and Additional Publications

2023 - present: Director, Emerging Infectious Diseases Graduate Program, USU

2022 - present: Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Molecular Therapeutics, USU

2019 - 2023: Assistant Dean for Graduate Education, USU

2022: Outstanding Biomedical Graduate Educator Award

2021: Fellow of the Clinical Immunology Society

2017: Cinda Helke Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Advocacy

Representative Bibliography