Research Interests
Immunopathogenesis.
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.
Selected Publications
Bisson GP, Mooketsi M, Thaker R, Steenhoff A, Tsimako I, Tamuhla N, Gluckman S, Ravimohan S, Weissman D, Tebas P: Early versus delayed antiretroviral therapy and CSF fungal clearance in adults with HIV and cryptococcal meningitis. Clinical Infectious Diseases In Press, 2013.
Bisson Gregory P, Mehaffy Carolina, Broeckling Corey, Prenni Jessica, Rifat Dalin, Lun Desmond S, Burgos Marcos, Weissman Drew, Karakousis Petros C, Dobos Karen: Upregulation of the Phthiocerol Dimycocerosate Biosynthetic Pathway by Rifampin-Resistant, rpoB Mutant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Journal of bacteriology 194(23): 6441-52, Dec 2012.
Anderson BR, Kariko K, Weissman D: Nucleofection induces transient eIF2a phosphorylation by GCN2 and PERK. Gene Therapy Page: 1-7, February 2012.
Karikó K, Muramatsu H, Keller JM, Weissman D: Increased Erythropoiesis in Mice Injected With Submicrogram Quantities of Pseudouridine-containing mRNA Encoding Erythropoietin. Molecular therapy : the Journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy Feb 2012.
Zhou Yu, Ni Houping, Li Minghong, Sanzari Jenine K, Diffenderfer Eric S, Lin Liyong, Kennedy Ann R, Weissman Drew: Effect of solar particle event radiation and hindlimb suspension on gastrointestinal tract bacterial translocation and immune activation. PloS one 7(9): e44329, 2012.
Pardi N, Muramatsu H, Weissman D, Karikó K: In vitro transcription of long RNA containing modified nucleosides. Synthetic mRNA: Methods and Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology, Peter Rabinovich (eds.). Humana Press, 2012.
Weissman D, Pardi N, Muramatsu H, Kariko K: HPLC Purification of In Vitro Transcribed Long RNA. Synthetic mRNA: Methods and Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology. Peter Rabinovich (eds.). Humana Press, 2012.
Kariko K, Muramatsu H, Ludwig J, Weissman D: Generating the optimal mRNA for therapy: HPLC purification eliminates immune activation and improves translation of nucleoside-modified, protein-encoding mRNA. Nucleic Acids Res 39(21): e142, November 2011.
Anderson BR, Muramatsu H, Jha BK, Silverman RH, Weissman D, Kariko K: Nuceloside modifications in RNA limit activation of 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase and increase resistance to cleavage by RNase L. Nucleic Acids Res 39(21): 9329-38, November 2011.
Wilson JM, Sanzari JK, Diffenderfer ES, Yee SS, Seykora JT, Maks C, Ware JH, Litt HI, Reetz JA, McDonough J, Weissman D, Kennedy AR, Cengel KA: Acute Biological Effects of Simulating the Whole Body Radiation Dose Distribution from a Solar Particle Event Using a Porcine Model. Radiat Res 176(5): 649-59, November 2011.
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Last updated: 05/01/2013
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