Whitacre, Caroline C.

Caroline C. Whitacre, Ph.D.

Professor 
Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics

Joint Appointments
Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Pathology

Contact Information:

Laboratory:
3160 Graves Hall
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Ph. (614) 292-5014

Research Interests:
Immune tolerance, CNS autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis, animal models for the study of multiple sclerosis, gender differences in autoimmune disease, neuroendocrine-immune interactions, immune effects in spinal cord injury .

Research Summary:

The laboratory uses cellular and molecular approaches to devise therapeutic regimens for multiple sclerosis focusing on the animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The primary focus of research is to understand the mechanisms underlying disease suppression following the oral administration of antigen (oral tolerance). In addition, this laboratory studies gender differences in autoimmune diseases, specifically differences in the immune response to explain why women tend to get autoimmune diseases more often than men, yet men often exhibit a more rapidly progressive course of disease. Areas under active investigation include the effects of stress and CNS trauma on the immune system.

Selected Publications:

Benson, J.M., Guan, Z., Campbell, K.A., Gienapp, I.E., Stuckman, S., Forsthuber, T., and Whitacre, C.C.: T Cell Activation and Receptor Downmodulation Precede Deletion Induced by Orally Administered Antigen. Journal of Clinical Investigation 106: 1031-1038, 2000.

Meyer, A.L., Benson, J., Song, F., Javed, N., Gienapp, I.E., Goverman, J., Brabb, T.A., Hood, L., and Whitacre, C.C.: Rapid Depletion of Peripheral Antigen-Specific T cells in TCR Transgenic Mice following Oral Administration of Myelin Basic Protein. J. Immunol. 166:5773-5781, 2001.

Srinivasan, M., Wardrop, R.M., Gienapp, I.E., Stuckman, S.S., Whitacre, C.C., and Kaumaya P.T.P.: A Retro-Inverso Peptide Mimic of CD28 Encompassing the "MYPPPY" Motif Adopts a PP II Helix and Inhibits Encephalitogenic T Cells in vitro.  J Immunol. 167:578-585, 2001.

Whitacre, C.C. Sex Differences in Autoimmune Disease. Nature Immunology 2:777-80, 2001.

Song, F.S., and Whitacre, C.C.: The Role of the Gut Lymphoid Tissue in Induction of Oral Tolerance. Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs 2: 1382-1386, 2001.

Jones, T.B., Basso, D.M., MacCallum, R.C., Lee, S., Whitacre, C.C., and Popovich, P.G.: Pathological Central Nervous System Autoimmune Disease is Triggered by Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury.  Journal of Neuroscience 22:2690-700, 2002.

Srinivasan, M., Gienapp, I.E., Stuckman, S.S., Rogers, C.J., Kaumaya, P.T.P., and Whitacre, C.C. Suppression of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis using Peptide Mimics of CD28.  J.  Immunol.169:2180-2188, 2002.