Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Medicine
Department: Medicine
Graduate Group Affiliations
Contact information
522 Johnson Pavilion
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6073
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6073
Office: (215) 614-0291
Fax: (215) 349-5111
Fax: (215) 349-5111
Email:
dreww@mail.med.upenn.edu
dreww@mail.med.upenn.edu
Publications
Links
Search PubMed for articles
Cell and Molecular Biology graduate group faculty webpage.
Immunology graduate group faculty webpage.
Search PubMed for articles
Cell and Molecular Biology graduate group faculty webpage.
Immunology graduate group faculty webpage.
Education:
B.A., M.A. (Biochemistry/Enzymology)
Brandeis University, 1981.
M.D. Ph.D. (Immunology/Microbiology)
Boston University, 1987.
Permanent linkB.A., M.A. (Biochemistry/Enzymology)
Brandeis University, 1981.
M.D. Ph.D. (Immunology/Microbiology)
Boston University, 1987.
Description of Research Expertise
Research InterestsImmunopathogenesis.
Key words: HIV, Immunopathogenesis, RNAi, DMBT1, dendritic cell, siRNA, antigen presentation.
Description of Research
Dr. Weissman s laboratory focuses on the application of immunologically based basic science research principals to clinically relevant questions. The central theme of these projects is the study of dendritic cell (DC) biology and the application of these findings to vaccine research and HIV immunopathogenesis. As the most potent antigen-presenting cell and the only one capable of inducing naive immune responses, understanding DC function is critical in the development of new vaccine approaches to infectious and neoplastic diseases, in understanding the initiation and control of immune responses, and in exploring pathologic insults to the immune system. There are three main projects in his laboratory at the present time. The first uses mRNA and lentiviruses encoding antigen as a delivery system to load DC with antigen and promote broad immune responsiveness. The second project studies a newly discovered molecule found on DC, macrophages, and epithelial cells that binds HIV envelope with high affinity and is involved in HIV transmission, antigen acquisition, and immune activation. The third project studies Toll-like receptor recognition of RNA.
Rotation Projects for 2006-2007
- gp340 binding of HIV as a cofactor in cell transfer and infection.
- TLR3, TLR7, and TLR8 recognition of RNA
- Delivery of antigen encoding modified RNA as a therapeutic agent
Lab personnel:
Prakash Bhuyan
Gerogetta Cannon
Kathy Fernando
Houping Ni
Robbert Rennert
Earl Stoddard
Selected Publications
Monsavi-Karbassi B, P Luo, Cunto-Amesty G, Jousheghany F, Pashov A, D Weissman D, Kieber-Emmons T: Fucosylated lactosamines participate in adhesion of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein to dendritic cells. Arch Virol 149: 75, 2004.Kariko, K., Ni, H., Capodici, J., Lamphier, M., and Weissman, D.: mRNA is an endogenous ligand for Toll-like receptor 3. J. Biol. Chem 279: 12542 - 12550, 2004.
Kariko K, Bhuyan P, Capodici J, Weissman D : Small interfering RNAs mediate sequence-independent gene suppression and induce immune activation by signaling through Toll-like receptor 3. J. Immunol 172: 6545-6549, 2004.
Koski, GK, Kariko K, Xu S, Weissman D, Cohen PA, Czerniecki BJ: Cutting edge: innate immune system discriminates between RNA containing bacterial versus eukaryotic structural features that prime for high-level IL-12 secretion by dendritic cells. J. Immunol 172: 3989-3993, 2004.
Kariko K, Bhuyan P, Capodici J , Ni H, Lubinski J, Friedman H, Weissman D: Exogenous siRNA mediates sequence independent gene suppression by signaling through toll-like receptor 3. Cells, Tissues, Organs 177: 132-138, 2004.
Bhuyan, P., Kariko, K., Capodici, J., Lubinski, J., Hook, L., Friedman, H., and Weissman, D.: siRNA-mediated inhibition of HSV-1 gene expression and function during infection of human keratinocytes. J. Virol 78: 10276-81, 2004.
Karikó K, Weissman D, Welsh FA: Inhibition of Toll-like receptor and cytokine signaling — a unifying theme in ischemic tolerance Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 24(11): 1288-304, Nov 2004.
Lin G, Baribaud F, Ni H, Haggarty H, Pöhlmann S, Weissman D, Hoxie JA, Doms RA: DC-SIGN and DC-SIGNR Differentially Interact with T Cell and Macrophage Derived HIV Due to Differences in N-linked Carbohydrate Composition of Env Proteins. J. Virol 77: 1337 - 1346, 2003.
Venkatesan, S., Petrovic, A., Van Ryk, D.I., Locati, M., Weissman, D., and . Murphy, P.M: Reduced cell surface expression of CCR5 in 32 heterozygotes is mediated by gene dosage, not by receptor sequestration. J. Biol. Chem 277: 2287-2301, 2002.