Perelman School of Medicine/ Faculty Search/ David B. Weiner

David B. Weiner, Ph.D.

Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Department: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Graduate Group Affiliations

Contact information

505A Stellar-Chance Laboratories
422 Curie Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6069

Office: (215) 349-8591
Fax: (215) 573-9436

Email:
DBWEINER@MAIL.MED.UPENN.EDU

Publications

Search PubMed for articles

Links
Search PubMed for articles
Immunology graduate group faculty webpage.
Pharmacological Sciences graduate group faculty webpage.
D.B. Weiner Laboratory Home Page
Cell and Molecular Biology graduate group faculty webpage.

Education:
B.S. (Biology)
SUNY at Stony Brook, NY, 1978.
M.S. (Biology)
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 1985.
Ph.D. (Developmental Biology Graduate Program)
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 1986.

Permanent link

Perelman School of Medicine > Faculty > Search

Description of Research Expertise

Research Interests
DNA vaccines for infectious diseases and cancer, viral pathogenesis.

Key words: DNA Vaccines, HIV, Viral Protein R., Vaccines.

Description of Research
The laboratory of Dr. Weiner helped to found the field of DNA vaccines. His laboratory and collaborators were responsible for the first DNA vaccine IND’s. These IND’s were for HIV immune therapy and the first IND approved as a prophylactic for any indication, in this case HIV-1. Over 250 individuals have been vaccinated with DNA vaccines that his group and his collaborators developed in collaboration with Wyeth. These studies established that DNA vaccines appear well tolerated and are immunogenic in humans. Current work focuses on developing a new set of more potent second generation DNA which have exhibited dramatically improved potency in non human primates. These vaccines are being moved into the clinic for HIV prophylaxis as well as immune therapy. Important preclinical studies of immune modulation are a central focus of the lab. Another line of study is the contribution of accessory genes to viral pathogenesis. His group is investigating the role of the Vpr gene product in modulation of host cell immune responses during HIV infection, the role of structural and non structural genes in WNV pathogenesis and the role of the host immune response to control viral replication.

Rotation Projects for 2006-2007
Enhancing DNA vaccines for HIV through the use of plasmid encoded immune-modulatory molecules. Direction of the in vivo immune response to DNA Vaccines through the use of cytokine engineering. Active immunization as an approach to HIV immune therapy. HIV accessory gene vpr and effects on the host cell. Immune responses to DNA vaccines for Smallpox. WNV pathogenesis

Lab personnel:
David Hokey - Postdoctoral Fellow
Muthumani Karupia - Research Associate
Michele Kutzler - Postdoctoral Fellow
Dominick Laddy - PhD Student
N. Ramanathan - Research Associate
Kim Schoenly - PhD Student
Lauren Hirao - PhD Student
Ariella Blier- PhD student
Jian Yian- Postdoctoral Fellow

Description of Clinical Expertise

Clinical immunology, Clinical Vaccine trial development

Selected Publications

Morrow Matthew P, Yan Jian, Pankhong Panyupa, Shedlock Devon J, Lewis Mark G, Talbott Kendra, Toporovski Roberta, Khan Amir S, Sardesai Niranjan Y, Weiner David B: IL-28B/IFN-lambda3 Drives Granzyme B Loading and Significantly Increases CTL Killing Activity in Macaques. Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy 18(9): 1714-23, Sep 2010.

Morrow Matthew P, Yan Jian, Pankhong Panyupa, Ferraro Bernadette, Lewis Mark G, Khan Amir S, Sardesai Niranjan Y, Weiner David B: Unique Th1/Th2 Phenotypes Induced During Priming and Memory Phases Using IL-12 or IL-28B Vaccine Adjuvants in rhesus macaques. Clinical and vaccine immunology : CVI Aug 2010.

Hirao Lauren A, Wu Ling, Satishchandran Abhishek, Khan Amir S, Draghia-Akli Ruxandra, Finnefrock Adam C, Bett Andrew J, Betts Michael R, Casimiro Danilo R, Sardesai Niranjan Y, Kim J Joseph, Shiver John W, Weiner David B: Comparative analysis of immune responses induced by vaccination with SIV antigens by recombinant Ad5 vector or plasmid DNA in rhesus macaques. Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy 18(8): 1568-76, Aug 2010.

Shedlock Devon J, Talbott Kendra T, Morrow Matthew P, Ferraro Bernadette, Hokey David A, Muthumani Karuppiah, Weiner David B: Ki-67 staining for determination of rhesus macaque T cell proliferative responses ex vivo. Cytometry. Part A : the journal of the International Society for Analytical Cytology 77(3): 275-84, Mar 2010.

Muthumani Karrupiah, Lambert Vance M, Kawalekar Omkar, Heller Richard, Kim J Joseph, Weiner David B, Ugen Kenneth E: Anti-cancer activity of the HIV accessory molecule viral protein R (Vpr): Delivery as a DNA expression plasmid or biologically active peptides. Vaccine 28(8): 2005-10, Feb 2010.

Kraynyak Kimberly A, Kutzler Michele A, Cisper Neil J, Khan Amir S, Draghia-Akli Ruxandra, Sardesal Niranjan Y, Lewis Mark G, Yan Jian, Weiner David B: Systemic immunization with CCL27/CTACK modulates immune responses at mucosal sites in mice and macaques. Vaccine 28(8): 1942-51, Feb 2010.

Kutzler M A, Kraynyak K A, Nagle S J, Parkinson R M, Zharikova D, Chattergoon M, Maguire H, Muthumani K, Ugen K, Weiner D B: Plasmids encoding the mucosal chemokines CCL27 and CCL28 are effective adjuvants in eliciting antigen-specific immunity in vivo. Gene therapy 17(1): 72-82, Jan 2010.

Thiboutot Michelle M, Kannan Senthil, Kawalekar Omkar U, Shedlock Devon J, Khan Amir S, Sarangan Gopalsamy, Srikanth Padma, Weiner David B, Muthumani Karuppiah: Chikungunya: a potentially emerging epidemic? PLoS neglected tropical diseases 4(4): e623, 2010.

Ramanathan Mathura P, Kuo Yuan-Chia, Selling Bernard H, Li Qianjun, Sardesai Niranjan Y, Kim J Joseph, Weiner David B: Development of a novel DNA SynCon tetravalent dengue vaccine that elicits immune responses against four serotypes. Vaccine 27(46): 6444-53, Oct 2009.

Pankhong Panyupa, Weiner David B, Ramanathan Mathura P, Nisalak Ananda, Kalayanarooj Siripen, Nimmannitya Suchitra, Attatippaholkun Watcharee: Molecular genetic relationship of the 3' untranslated region among Thai dengue-3 virus, Bangkok isolates, during 1973-2000. DNA and cell biology 28(10): 481-91, Oct 2009.