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Member Information
Christopher Hunter, PhD
Professor of Parisitology in Pathobiology
School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Office Phone: 215-573-7772
Office Fax: 215-573-7023
Email: chunter@vet.upenn.edu
Website(s):
Education: PhD 1989, University of Glasgow
Keywords: Infectious disease, immunology, opportunistic infections, toxoplasmosis
Research and/or Clinical Interests:
Understanding the factors that regulate protective immunity to infection.
Summary:
The early events that occur after infection with T. gondii result in an innate mechanism of resistance that prevents infection overwhelming the host before development of protective T cell responses. The cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12) is central to both the innate, natural killer (NK) cell mediated, mechanism of resistance and the development of protective T cell responses. These protective effects of IL-12 are due to its ability to stimulate NK cells and T cells to produce IFN-?, the major mediator of resistance to T. gondii. However, other cytokines, such as IL-10 and IL-27, are required to balance some of these responses and prevent the development of immunepathology. Part of the studies in this laboratory are focus on understanding how the immune response balances the requirement for protective immunity and the development of immunepathology. The laboratory also performs studies to understand how T. gondii can affect the development of the immune response.
Representative Publications:
Hunter, C.A. , Jennings , F.W., Adams, H., Murray , M. and Kennedy, P.G.E. (1992). Subcurative chemotherapy and fatal post-treatment reactive encephalopathies in African trypanosomiasis. Lancet, 956-958. 2. Hunter, C.A., Roberts, C., and Alexander, J. (1992). Kinetics of cytokine mRNA production in the brains of mice with progressive toxoplasmic encephalitis. Eur J Immunol 22:2317-2322.
Hunter, C.A., Ellis, L., Slifer, T., Kanaly, S., Grunig, G., Fort, M., Rennick, D., and Araujo, F.G. (1997). IL-10 is required to prevent immune hyperactivity during infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Journal Immunology 158:3311-3316.
Walker, W., Aste?Amezaga, M., Kastelein, R.A., Trinchieri, G., and Hunter, C.A. (1999). Interleukin (IL)-18 and CD28 uses distinct molecular mechanisms to enhance natural killer cell production of IL-12-induced interferon?gamma. Journal Immunology 162: 5894-5901.
Reichmann, G., Villegas, E.N., Craig, L., Peach, R., Hunter, C.A. (1999). The CD28/B7 interaction is not required for resistance to Toxoplasma gondii in the brain but contributes to the development of immunopathology. Journal Immunology 163: 3354-3362.
Cammano, J., Alexander, J., Craig, L., Bravo, R., Hunter, C.A. (1999). The NF-?B family member RelB is required for innate and adaptive immunity to Toxoplasma gondii. Journal Immunology 163:4453-4461.
Cai, G., Radzanowski, T., Villegas, E., Kastelein, R.A., Hunter, C.A. (2000). Identification of STAT4-dependent and independent mechanisms of resistance to Toxoplasma gondii Journal Immunology 165:2619-2627.
Caamano, J., Tato, C., Cai, G., Villegas, E., Speirs, K., Craig, L., Alexander, J., Hunter, C.A. (2000). Identification of a role for NF-?B 2 in the regulation of apoptosis and in maintenance of T cell-mediated immunity to Toxoplasma gondii. Journal Immunology 165:5720-5728.
Shapira, S., Speirs, K., Gerstein, A., Caamano, J., Hunter, C.A. (2002). Suppression of NF-?B activation by infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Journal Infectious Diseases 185: S66-72.
Mason, N., Aliberti, D., Caamano, J., Liou, H.C., Hunter, C.A. (2002) Cutting Edge: Identification of c-Rel dependent and independent pathways of IL-12 production during infectious and inflammatory stimuli. Journal Immunology 168:2590-2594.
Villegas, E.N., Lieberman, L.A., Mason, N., Blass, S.L., Zediak, .P., Peach,R., Horan, T., Yoshinaga, S., Hunter, C.A. (2002). A role for Inducible Costimulator protein in the CD28-independent mechanism of resistance to Toxoplasma gondii. Journal Immunology 169: 937-943.
Tato, C.M., Villarino, A., Caamano, J., Boothby, M., Hunter, C.A. (2003). Inhibition of NF-?B activity in T cells and NK cells results in defective T cell expansion and production of IFN-? required for resistance to T. gondii. Journal Immunology 170:3139-3146.
Villarino, A., Planz, L., Lieberman, L., Wilson, E., Yoshida, ., Mak, T., Kastelein, R., Saris, C. and Hunter, C.A. (2003). The IL-27R (WSX-1) is required to suppress T cell hyperactivity during infection. Immunity (In Press).
