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 publications, contact information Research Interests Associate Research Professor My major research interest involves the understanding of host-parasite relationships during hookworm disease. In particular, my work takes advantage of molecular biology and immunology techniques to elucidate host-parasite relationships and identify the molecular mechanisms underlying human cellular responses to hookworm and other helminths. The focus of my research is to investigate whether reduced proliferative capacities of T cells are due to alterations in the cell cycle transition phases, and to characterize the molecular events that regulate cell cycle progression and proliferation in CD4+ T cells from persons infected with hookworm and co-infected or not with other parasites pre- and post-anthelminthic treatment. These studies will shed light on the immune mechanisms and factors that shape the development of resistance, immunopathogenesis, and/or immunoregulation of hookworm infections in developing countries. The hypothesis is that hookworm coinfections could provide a systemic immunosuppressive environment altering the molecular mechanisms regulating cell cycle progression, and the cellular immune responses against other parasite antigens. Vice-Chair of Administration In this role I assist and collaborate with our Chair, Dr. Peter Hotez in the organization and daily operations of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine. Our structure is based on a set of task forces that create tracking and accountability procedures for grants management and compliance, long-term budgeting, payroll, ordering and reallocation processes, tuition revenue capturing processes, faculty affairs and human resources. Project Manager for the Human Hookworm Vaccine Initiative (HHVI) My role is to support the strategic goals of the HHVI by building and leading the product development units, assisting in the development of the strategic plans for the clinical and non-clinical phases, and coordinating the communications between the HHVI core team members and strategic partners. In this role there is the need to implement and develop the flow of organization and communication between and within the HHVI groups in order to concentrate primarily on the translation of vaccine candidates (i.e. Na-ASP-2 Hookworm Vaccine) derived from GWUMC into cGMP manufacturing and eventually human clinical trials. These activities lead to the generation of Product Development Strategies and IND applications in support of the regulatory approval of the Na-ASP-2 Hookworm Vaccine both in the U.S. and in developing countries. Selected Publications Top Hotez, P.J., Arora, S., Bethony, J., Bottazzi , M.E. , Loukas, A. and Brooker, S. (2005) Helminth Infections of Children: Prospects and Control. In: Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. “Hot Topics in Infection and Immunity”. Pollard, A.J. and Finn, A. (Eds.), Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers; pp.135-44. Hotez PJ, Bethony J, Bottazzi ME, Brooker S, Buss P. (2005) Hookworm – “The great infection of mankind.” PLoS Medicine 2: e67 177-81. Hotez, P.J., Brooker, S., Bethony, J.M., Bottazzi , M.E., Loukas, A., and Xiao, S. (2004) Current Concepts: Hookworm Infection. NEJM 351(8):799-807. Seelamgari, A., Maddukuri, A., Berro, R., de la Fuente, C., Kehn, K., Deng, L., Dadgar, S., Bottazzi, M.E. , Ghedin, E., Pumfery, A., Kashanchi, F. (2004) Role of viral regulatory and accessory proteins in HIV-1 replication. Frontiers in Bioscience, 9:2388-2413. Kehn, K., Berro, R., de la Fuente, C., Strouss, K., Ghedin, E., Dadgar, S., Bottazzi, M.E. , Pumfery, A., and Kashanchi, F. (2004). Mechanisms of HTLV-1 Transformation. Frontiers in Bioscience, 9:2347-2372. Hotez, P.J., Zhan, B., Bethony, J., Loukas, A., Williamson, A., Goud, G.N., Hawdon, J.M., Dobardzic, A., Dobardzic, R., Ghosh, K., Bottazzi, M.E., Mendez, S., Zook, B., Wang, Y., Liu, S., Essiet-Gibson, I., Chung-Debose, S., Xiao, S.H., Knox, D., Megher, M., Inan, M., Correa-Oliveira, R., Vilk, P., Shepherd, H.R., Brandt, W., Russell, P.K. (2003). Progress in the development of a recombinant vaccine for human hookworm disease: the human hookworm vaccine initiative. Int. J. Parasitol. 33(11):1245-58. Fujiwara, R.T., Loukas, A., Mendez, S., Williamson, A.L., Bueno, L.L., Wang, Y., Samuel, A., Zhan, B., Bottazzi, M.E. , Hotez, P.J. and Bethony, J.M. Vaccination with irradiated Ancylostoma caninum third stage larvae induces a Th2 protective response in dogs. Vaccine, In Press Bethony JM, Loukas A, Smout MJ, Mendez S, Wang Y, MJ, Bottazzi ME, Zhan B, Williamson A, Correa-Oliveira R, Xiao SH, Hotez PJ. Antibodies against a secreted protein from hookworm larvae reduce the intensity of hookworm infection in humans and vaccinated laboratory animals. FASEB Journal, In Press Goud GN, Bottazzi ME*, Zhan B, Mendez S, Deumic V, Pleiskatt J, Liu S, Wang Y, Bueno L, Fujiwara R, Samuel A, Ahn SY, Solanki M, Asojo O, Wen J, Saul A, Bethony JM, Loukas A, Roy M, Hotez PJ. Expression of the Necator americanus hookworm larval antigen Na-ASP-2 in Pichia pastoris and purification of the recombinant protein for use in human clinical trials. *co-first authors. Vaccine, In Press Kehn, K., de la Fuente, C., Strouss, K., Berro, R., Jiang, H., Brady, J., Mahieux, R., Pumfery, A., Bottazzi, M.E. * and Kashanchi, F. * (2004). The HTLV-1 Tax Oncoprotein Targets the Retinoblastome (Rb) Protein for Proteosomal Degradation. *Co-last authors. Oncogene, 24:525-540. Kehn, K., Deng, L., de la Fuente, C., Strouss, K., Wu, K., Maddukuri, A., Baylor, S., Rufner, R., Pumfery, A., Bottazzi, M.E.*and Kashanchi, F.* (2004). The Role of cyclin D2 and p21/waf1 in human T-cell leukemia Virus Type 1-infected cells. *Co-last authors. Retrovirology 1(6). Loukas, A., Bethony, JM., Williamson, AL., goud, GN., Mendez, S., Zhan, B., Hawdon, JM., Bottazzi , ME. ,Brindley, PJ., and Hotez, PJ. (2004). Vaccination of dogs with a recombinant cysteine protease from the intestine of canine hookworms diminishes fecundity and growth of worms. J. Inf. Dis. 189:1952-61. Wu, K., Bottazzi, M.E. , de la Fuente, C., Deng, L., Gitlin, S.D., Maddukuri, A., Dadgar, S., Li, H., Vertes, A., Pumfery, A. and Kashanchi, F. (2004) Protein profile of Tax-associated complexes. J. Biol. Chem. 279(1):495-508 Contact Information Top The George Washington University Medical Center
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