Robert A. Eisenberg

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Emeritus Professor of Medicine
Professor, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Department: Medicine

Contact information
University of Pennsylvania, Department of Medicine
Rheumatology Division, 756 BRB II/III
421 Curie Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215–573-9681
Fax: 215–573-7599
Education:
BA (Anthropology)
Haverford, College, Haverford, PA, 1966.
M.D.
Stanford University, 1971.
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Description of Research Expertise

Research Interests

The cellular, biochemical, and genetic mechanisms of systemic autoimmunity, including novel therapeutic approaches.

Research Summary

Our laboratory has utilized spontaneous and experimentally induced models of systemic autoimmunty in mice in order to elucidate the cellular and molecular deficiencies in immunoregulation that are essential to this process. The induced chronic graft-versus-host model depends on abnormal T-B interactions resulting from allogeneic recognition of major histocompatibility complex class II. We have most recently focused on the role of B cells in this model, and the specific loss of tolerance by secondary B-cell receptor (Ig) gene revisions in the peripheral lymphoid tissue.

Selected Publications

Albert, D., Dunham, J., Khan, S., Stansberry, J., Kolasinski, S., Tsai, D., Pullman-Mooar, S., Barnack, F., Striebich C., Looney, RJ., Luning Prak, ET., Kimberly, R., Zhang, Y., Eisenberg, R.: Variability in the biological response to anti-CD20 B-cell depletion in SLE. Ann Rheum Dis. 67(12): 1724-31, Dec 2008 Notes: Epub 2008 Feb 4.

Sutter, JA, Kawn-Morely J, Dunham J, Du YZ, Kamoun M, Albert D, Eisenberg RA, Luning Prak ET: A longitudinal analysis of SLE patients treated with rituximab (anti-CD20): Factors associated with B lymphocyte recovery. Clin Immunol. 126(3): 282-90, Mar 2008 Notes: Epub 2008 Jan 15.

Shao WH, Eisenberg RA, Cohen PL: The Mer receptor tyrosine kinae is required for the loss of B cell tolerance in the chronic graft-versus-host disease model of SLE. J Immunol. 180(11): 7728-35, Jun 2008.

Li Y, Chan F, Putt M, Koo Y, Cohen PL, Eisenberg RA: B Cell Depletion with Anti-CD79 mAbs Ameliorates Autoimmune Disease in MRL/lpr Mice. J Immunol. 181(5): 2961-72, Sep 2008.

Ma Z, Choudhury A, Kang SA, Monestier M, Cohen PL, Eisenberg RA: Accelerated atherosclerosis in ApoE deficient lupus mouse model. Clin Immunol. 127(2): 168-175, May 2008 Notes: Epub 2008 Mar 5.

Choudhury A, Cohen PL, Eisenberg RA.: B cells require "nurturing" by CD4 T cells during development in order to respond in chronic graft-versus-host model of systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Immunol. 136(1): 105-15, Jul 2010 Notes: Epub 2010 Apr 8.

Duskin A, Eisenberg RA. : The role of antibodies in inflammatory arthritis. Immunol Rev. 233(1): 112-25, Jan 2010.

Shao WH, Zhen Y, Eisenberg RA, Cohen PL. : The Mer receptor tyrosine kinase is expressed on discrete macrophage subpopulations and mainly uses Gas6 as its ligand for uptake of apoptotic cells. Clin Immunol. 133(1): 138-44, Oct 2009 Notes: Epub 2009 Jul 24.

Yunk L, Meng W, Cohen PL, Eisenberg RA, Luning Prak ET.: Antibodies in a heavy chain knock-in mouse exhibit characteristics of early heavy chain rearrangement. J Immunol. 183(1): 452-61, Jul 2009 Notes: PMC2700953.

Panigrahi AK, Goodman NG, Eisenberg RA, Rickels MR, Naji A, Luning Prak ET. : RS rearrangement frequency as a marker of receptor editing in lupus and type 1 diabetes. J Exp Med. 205(13): 2985-94, Dec 2008 Notes: Epub 2008 Dec 15.

Tsao PY, Jiao J, Ji MQ, Cohen PL, Eisenberg RA. : T cell-independent spontaneous loss of tolerance by anti-double-stranded DNA B cells in C57BL/6 mice. J Immunol. 181(11): 7770-7, Dec 2008.

Shao WH, Zhen Y, Rosenbaum J, Eisenberg RA, McGaha TL, Birkenbach M, Cohen PL. : A protective role of Mer receptor tyrosine kinase in nephrotoxic serum-induced nephritis. Clin Immunol. May 2010 Notes: [Epub ahead of print]

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Last updated: 11/23/2011
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