Angela Haczku, MD, PhD

Angela Haczku, MD, PhD

Research Associate Professor of Medicine

University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
Pulmonary & Critical Care Division
Translational Research Laboratories #1209
125 S. 31st Street
Philadelphia PA 19104
tel.: (215) 573-4718
fax: (215) 746-1224

email: haczku@mail.med.upenn.edu

Education

MD: University Medical School of Debrecen, Hungary
Residency: University Medical School of Debrecen, Hungary
Ph.D.: National Heart and Lung Institute at the Royal Brompton Hospital, University of London, United Kingdom
Research Fellowship: National Jewish Medical and Research Center, University of Colorado, Denver, CO

Allergen inhalation elicits characteristic inflammatory changes in susceptible patients while normal individuals remain symptom-free. The exact mechanisms that ensure both elimination of inhaled allergenic material and protection of the lung from an inappropriate immune response are unknown. The long-term goal of my research is to unravel the crosstalk between the innate and adaptive immune system during development of allergic and infectious inflammatory changes in the lung. To investigate T-cell related pathologies such as the allergic airway response my laboratory has established various in vitro and in vivo (rodent) model systems suitable to study pulmonary inflammation as well as the resulting changes in lung physiology. My laboratory is one of the few that study the importance of the pulmonary surfactant and in particular, the lung collectins, (SP-A and SP-D), in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Our observations support the novel concept that these lectin-like molecules play an essential protective regulatory role during inflammatory changes. These findings are important because they may provide unique, novel therapeutical opportunities to control and manipulate the immune system in the lung.

Representative publications

Cao Y., Tao JQ., Bates SR., Beers MF., Haczku A. IL-4 induces production of the lung collectin surfactant protein-D. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004;113:439-44.
Yang G., Haczku A., Chen H., Martin V., Galczenski H., Tomer Y., Van Besien CR., Evans JF., Panettieri RA., Funk CD. Transgenic smooth muscle expression of the human CysLT1 receptor induces enhanced responsiveness of murine airways to leukotriene D4. Am J Physiol-Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2004;286:L992-1001
Haczku A, Emami K, Fischer MC, Kadlecek S, Ishii M, Panettieri RA, Rizi RR. Hyperpolarized 3He MRI in asthma measurements of regional ventilation following allergic sensitization and challenge in mice--preliminary results. Acad Radiol. 2005;12:1362-70.
Scanlon ST, Milovanova T, Kierstein S, Cao Y, Atochina EN, Tomer Y, Russo SJ, Beers MF, Haczku A. Surfactant Protein-A inhibits Aspergillus fumigatus-induced allergic T-cell responses. Respir Res 2005;6:97.
Haczku, A., Cao, Y., Vass, G., Kierstein, S., Nath, P., Atochina, E.N., Scanlon, S.T., Li, L., Griswold, D.E., Chung, K.F., Poulain, F.R., Hawgood, S., Beers, M.F., Crouch, E.C. IL-4 and IL-13 form a negative feedback circuit with surfactant protein-D in the allergic airway response. J Immunol 2006;176:3557-3565.
Kierstein S, Poulain FR, Cao Y, Grous M, Mathias R, Kierstein G, Beers MF, Salmon M, Panettieri RA Jr, Haczku A. Susceptibility to ozone-induced airway inflammation is associated with decreased levels of surfactant protein D. Respir Res 2006;7: 85.
McVay LD, Keilbaugh SA, Wong TMH, Kierstein S, Shin ME, Lehrke M, Lefterova MI, Schifflett DE, Barnes SL, Cominelli F, Cohn SM, Hecht G, Lazar MA, Haczku A, Wu GD. Absence of Bacterially-Induced RELMβ Reduces Injury in the DSS Model of Colitis. J Clin Invest 2006;116:2914-2923.
Jain D, Keslacy S, Tliba O, Kierstein S, Panettieri RA, Amrani Y, Haczku A. Essential role of IFNβ and CD38 in TNFα-induced airway smooth muscle hyperresponsiveness. Immunobiol 2008;213:499-509
Sims MW, Tal-Singer RM, Kierstein S, Musani AI, Beers MF, Panettieri RA, Haczku A. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and inhaled steroids alter surfactant protein D levels. Respir Res 2008;9:13
Kierstein S, Krytska K, Sharma S, Salmon M, Panettieri RA Jr, Zangrilli JG, Haczku A. Ozone inhalation induces exacerbation of allergic airway hyperresponsiveness, prolongs survival of eosinophils and inhibits Fas-ligand. Allergy 2008;63(4):438-46.
Hortobágyi L, Kierstein S, Krytska K, Zhu X, Das AM, Poulain F, Haczku A. SP-D inhibits maturation and TNFa production of dendritic cells in mice. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2008;122:521-8
Alexis NE, Lay JC, Haczku A, Gong H, Linn W, Hazucha MJ, Tal-Singer R, Peden DB. Fluticasone propionate protects against ozone-induced airways inflammation and immune cell activation in healthy volunteers. Environ Health Perspect 2008;116(6):799-805.
Haczku A. Protective role of the lung collectins SP-A and SP-D in airway inflammation. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2008;122:861-79; quiz 880-1.
Bailey M, Kierstein S, Sharma S, Spaits M, Kinsey SG, Tliba O, Amrani Y, Sheridan JF, Panettieri RA, Haczku A. Social stress enhances allergen-induced airway inflammation in mice and inhibits corticosteroid responsiveness of cytokine production. J Immunol 2009;182:7888-96.
Bagyi K, Haczku A, Marton I, Szabo J, Gaspar A, Andrasi M, Varga I, Toth J, Klekner A. Role of pathogenic oral flora in postoperative pneumonia following brain surgery. BMC Infect Dis. 2009;9:104.
Damera G, Jester WF, Jiang M, Zhao H, Fogle HW, Mittelman M, Haczku A, Murphy E, Parikh I, Panettieri RA Jr. Inhibition of Myristoylated Alanine-Rich C Kinase Substrate (MARCKS) Protein Inhibits Ozone-Induced Airway Neutrophilia and Inflammation. Exp Lung Res 2009 (in press)

revised 9/09

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