Medical Microbiology and Immunology

1
Medical Microbiology and Immunology
Lab location Criss I, Room 510/511

• OBJECTIVES to apply the fundamental concepts
  and broad technologies of cell/molecular biology
  to understand mucosal immunity and
  immunopathobiology of epithelial-pathogen
  interactions.
• MicroRNAs in Biliary Immunity We are
  interested in the molecular basis underlying C.
  parvum-biliary epithelial interactions, in
  particular, the role of microRNAs in epithelial
  anti-C. parvum defense, as well as its relevance
  to mucosal innate and adaptive immunity in
  general.   
• B7-H1 in Biliary Inflammatory Responses We
  are interested in the molecular regulation of
  B7-H1 expression in biliary epithelial cells, as
  well as a potential role for B7-H1 in the
  regulation of biliary inflammatory responses.
• GRANTS HFF, Tobacco Settlement, and NIH.

TECHNOLOGIES

• MicroRNA analysis (qRT-PCR, Northern, in situ
  hybridization, microarray, etc.)
• MicroRNA targeting identification.
• In vitro translational analysis.
• Mutagenesis and RNAi gene silencing.
• Protein analysis (Western, ELISA, flow cytometry,
  immunofluorescent confocal microscopy, etc.)
• In vitro in vivo models of cryptosporidiosis,
  etc.

PERSONNEL

• Rui Zhou, PhD Aiyu Gong, MD
• Guoku Hu, PhD Xian Ming Chen, MD
• (http//mmi.creighton.edu/faculty/chen.html)

C. parvum is a NIAID Category B Priority Pathogen
MicroRNAs Are a Group of Small RNAs Important in
Gene Regulation
B7-H1 is a Member of the B7 Family of
Immunoregulatory Molecules
The Small RNA World
Finnegan, et al. J Cell Sci, 2003
Chen, et al. NEJM, 2002
Dong and Chen, Cell Mol Immunol, 2006