Immunology Graduate Group

Hooman Noorchashm, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Surgery

Address: 109 Chestnut Avenue
Office Phone: 215-662-2237
Lab Phone: 215-614-1941
Fax: 215-573-2001
Email: noorchah@mail.med.upenn.edu

Dr. Noorchashm's Surgery page

Education:
M.D., University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D, University of Pennsylvania
B.A., University of Pennsylvania

Research Interests

T Lymphocyte Homeostasis, Transplantation Immunology, Autoimmunity

Research Summary

The laboratory is focused on delineating the cellular basis of autoimmunity and organ transplant rejection. One main goal is to identify novel targets of immune modulation for the induction of tolerance in the context of both autoimmune diabetes and organ transplantation. With respect to autoimmunity, the lab is focused on examining the relationship between T cell compartment homeostasis and the maintenance of tolerance to self-tissues. The inbred, non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse strain serves as an important paradigm for the study of dysregulated T cell tolerance to tissue specific autoantigens. These mice spontaneously develop diabetes due to a T cell mediated destruction of pancreatic islet cells, which are responsible for regulating systemic glucose metabolism. Using this murine model of organ specific autoimmunity, the lab is focused on identification of dysregulated points in: 1) thymic T cell development and selection and 2) peripheral T cell activation and homeostasis, which lead to the development of organ-specific autoimmunity. With respect to transplantation, the lab is focused on defining the relative importance of the various antigen presenting cell subsets to the activation of alloreactive T cells. Our studies have demonstrated that B lymphocytes act as critical in vivo APCs regulating an important checkpoint in the process of T cell mediated organ transplant rejection. This finding has led us to undertake studies aimed at assessing the impact of B lymphocyte directed immunomodulation for the induction immunological tolerance to organ transplants.

Recent Publications

1. Hooman Noorchashm, Noorchashm N. Kern J., Rostami S., Barker C.F., Naji A.: B Cells are required for the initiation of insulitis and Sialitis in Non-Obese Diabetic Mice.. Diabetes, 46:941-946. 1997
2. Hooman Noorchashm, Lieu Y.K., Rostami S.Y., Song H.K., Greeley S.A.S., Bazel S., Barker C.F., Naji A.: A direct method for the calculation of alloreactive CD4(+) T cell precursor frequency. Transplantation, 67(9):1281-1284. 1999
3. Hooman Noorchashm, Lieu Y.K, Noorchashm N., Rostami S.Y., Greeley S.A.S., Schlachterman A., Song H.K., Noto L.E., Jevnikar A.M., Barker C.F., Naji A: I-Ag7 mediated antigen presentation by B lymphocytes is critical in overcoming a checkpoint in T cell tolerance to islet beta cells of nonobese diabetic mice. Journal of Immunology, 163(2):743-750. 1999
4. Hooman Noorchashm, Moore D., Noto L.E., Noorchashm N., Reed A.J., Reed A.L., Mozaffari R., Song H.K., Jevnikar A.M., Barker C.F., Naji A. 2000. Impaired CD4 T Cell Activation Due to Reliance Upon B Cell Mediated Costimulation in Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) Mice. Journal of Immunology, 165:4685-4696. 2000
5. Siri A. Greeley, Katsumata M., Yu L., Eisenbarth G.S., Moore D.J., Goodarzi H., Barker C.F., Naji A., Noorchashm H. Elimination of Maternally-Transmitted Autoantibodies Prevents Diabetes in Non-Obese Diabetic Mice. Nature Medicine, 8(4):399-402, 2002

 

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