HCAR - Hershey Center for Applied Research. South Centrals Pennsylvania's Premier Research Park Located Adjacent to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine.

Immunology & Microbiology

Faster than a virus, the word is spreading, great immunology research is taking place in the HCAR research community.

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Penn State College of Medicine at Hersheyt provides an outstanding research environment for training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Studies of microorganisms, their interactions with host cells as well as the immune system, are generating knowledge used to conquer human disease and also providing answers to many of the major scientific questions confronting molecular and cellular biologists.

Dr. Neil Christensen's lab studies the immunity to papillomavirus infections. The major subprojects include: (i) characterization of viral capsid neutralization epitopes; (ii) vaccine development; (iii) analysis of T-cell recognition of viral epitopes on virus-infected papilloma cells; (iv) papillomavirus animal model systems; (v) model systems to test for anti-viral compounds; and (vi) methods to propagate human papillomaviruses. The research is currently centered on the analysis of papillomavirus capsid epitopes recognized by panels of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. Epitope mapping utilizes papillomavirus virus-like particles (VLPs) that are prepared in insect cells using recombinant baculoviruses. They also have two rabbit papillomavirus model systems that are being used to dissect the T-cell responses to papillomas, and to determine which early viral genes that are expressed in papilloma cells are the targets of cell-mediated immunity leading to papilloma regressions. In addition, they are using the rabbit papillomavirus models for the testing of protective and prophylactic vaccines.

In Dr. Robert Bonneau's lab the research aim is to use an established murine model system of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection to investigate the mechanisms underlying stress-associated neuroendocrine interactions with the immune system and how these interactions may contribute to the pathogenesis of HSV infection. These studies focus on the stress-associated activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system and their role in modulating the activation and function of both primary and memory HSV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Overall, these studies will provide insight into the role of and mechanisms by which stress-related neuroendocrine activation modulate anti-viral immune responses and should contribute significantly to the overall understanding of the relationship among neuroendocrine-associated alterations in immune function and viral pathogenesis.

Dr. Michael Chorney's lab is interested in immunogenetics and focuses much of its attention on the 4 million base pair genomic expanse known as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Contained within this region are several multigene assemblages, two of which (i.e., the HLA class I and class II families) directly participate in the regulation of the immune response. Genes residing within the MHC have been implicated in nearly 200 diseases, many of which are autoimmune in nature.

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