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Joanne L. Flynn, Ph.D.
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Professor
W1144 BSTWR
200 Lothrop Street
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
Phone: (412) 624-7743
Fax: (412) 624-1401
E-mail: joanne@pitt.edu
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Research
My primary interest is in the interaction of pathogens with the host, with special emphasis on the immune mechanisms that protect against or exacerbate disease. Our focus is on Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the organism responsible for tuberculosis, which causes 2 million deaths per year worldwide. We are investigating the immune responses required for protection against tuberculosis, and the effect of these immune responses on both the host and the bacterium. We specifically study cytokine production, macrophage activation, and T cell subsets (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells) that are important in tuberculosis. Finally, we have a strong interest in the immune mechanisms responsible for maintaining a latent M. tuberculosis infection, and how deficiencies in the immune response can result in reactivation of disease. Our work is done in two model systems: mice and non-human primates. We have vaccine studies, drugs studies, and basic immunologic and pathogenesis studies ongoing. We also participate in projects involving mathematical modeling of the immune response to M. tuberculosis, and our plan is to incorporate nuclear imaging of live animals into our research.
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Selected Publications
- Ray JC, Flynn JL, Kirschner DE. 2009. "Synergy between individual TNF-dependent functions determines granuloma performance for controlling Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection"J Immunol. 182:3706-17. | Abstract
- Pawar SN, Mattila JT, Sturgeon TJ, Lin PL, Narayan O, Montelaro RC, Flynn JL. 2008. "Comparison of the effects of pathogenic simian human immunodeficiency virus strains SHIV-89.6P and SHIV-KU2 in cynomolgus macaques" AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 24:643-54. | Abstract
- Via LE, Lin PL, Ray SM, Carrillo J, Allen SS, Eum SY, Taylor K, Klein E, Manjunatha U, Gonzales J, Lee EG, Park SK, Raleigh JA, Cho SN, McMurray DN, Flynn JL, Barry CE 3rd. 2008 "Tuberculous granulomas are hypoxic in guinea pigs, rabbits, and nonhuman primates" Infect Immun. 76:2333-40. | Abstract
- Lerche NW, Yee JL, Capuano SV, Flynn JL. 2008. "New approaches to tuberculosis surveillance in nonhuman primates" ILAR J. 49:170-8. | Abstract
- Khan IH, Ravindran R, Yee J, Ziman M, Lewinsohn DM, Gennaro ML, Flynn JL, Goulding CW, DeRiemer K, Lerche NW, Luciw PA. 2008. "Profiling antibodies to Mycobacterium tuberculosis by multiplex microbead suspension arrays for serodiagnosis of tuberculosis" Clin Vaccine Immunol. 15:433-8. | Abstract
- Marino S, Sud D, Plessner H, Lin PL, Chan J, Flynn JL, Kirschner DE. 2007. "Differences in reactivation of tuberculosis induced from anti-TNF treatments are based on bioavailability in granulomatous tissue" PLoS Comput Biol. 3:1909-24. | Abstract
- Pegu A, Flynn JL, Reinhart TA. 2007. "Afferent and efferent interfaces of lymph nodes are distinguished by expression of lymphatic endothelial markers and chemokines" Lymphat Res Biol. 5:91-103. | Abstract
- Bigbee CL, Gonchoroff DG, Vratsanos G, Nadler SG, Haggerty HG, Flynn JL. 2007. "Abatacept treatment does not exacerbate chronic Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in mice" Arthritis Rheum. 56:2557-65. | Abstract
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