Students Profiles

George P. Christophi
PhD (3rd year)
christog@upstate.edu

Department: Microbiology & Immunology
Advisor: Paul Massa, Ph.D.

Research Interests:

Medical treatments are advancing to include biological therapies recently discovered following intense research. Although we know that Interferons, TNF-a, Type I & II Cytokines signal through receptors and signal transducer molecules like STATs, NF-kB, and kinases to exert an array cellular effects, we are far away from understanding the positive and negative effects they have on patients. In order to answer some of these questions, our lab focuses on extending research from the tissue culture room to mouse studies and all the way to the clinics. I study cytokine signaling pathways and how they affect gene transcription both in the immune system and in the CNS. SHP-1 is a protein phosphatase that negatively regulates several transcription factors and is important in hematopoiesis, anti-viral responses, and immune-mediated demyelination. We have recently discovered that multiple sclerosis patients are SHP-1 deficient leading to increased cytokine signaling and inflammatory gene expression. We are exited that we discovered treatments that raise the levels of SHP-1 and functionally reduce inflammatory cytokine signaling that can exacerbate disease pathogenesis.

Publications:

Blaber SI, Ciric B, Christophi GP, Bernett MJ, Blaber M, Rodriguez M, Scarisbrick IA. 2004. Targeting kallikrein 6-proteolysis attenuates CNS inflammatory disease. FASEB J. 18(7):920-2

Christophi GP, Isackson PJ Blaber S, laber M, Rodriguez M, Scarisbrick IA. 2004. Distinct promoters regulate tissue-specific and differential expression of kallikrein 6 in CNS demyelinating disease. Journal of Neurochemistry, 91(6), 1439-49.

Scarisbrick IA, Blaber SI, Tingling JT, Rodriguez M, Blaber M, Christophi GP. 2006. Potential scope of action of tissue kallikreins in CNS immune-mediated disease. Journal of Neuroimmunology. 178(1-2):167-76.

Hudson CA, Christophi GP, Cao L, Gruber RC, Massa PT. 2006. Regulation of avoidant behaviors and pain by the anti-inflammatory tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1. Neuron Glia Biology. 2:235-246.

Christophi GP, Hudson CA, Gruber RC, Massa PT. Promoter-Specific Induction of the Phosphatase SHP-1 by Viral Infection and Cytokines in CNS Glia. Journal of Neurochemistry (2008) March 10 [Epub ahead of print].

Hudson CA, Christophi GP, Gruber RC, Wilmore JR, Lawrence DA, Massa PT.. Induction of IL-33 expression and activity in central nervous system glia. J Leukoc Biol. 84(3):631-43 (2008).

Christophi GP, Hudson CA, Gruber RC, Christophi CP, Mihai C, Mejico LJ, Jubelt B, Massa PT. SHP-1 deficiency and increased inflammatory gene expression in PBMCs of multiple sclerosis patients. Lab Invest. Mar;88(3):243-55, 2008.

Hudson CA and Christophi GP. CNS autoimmune defense: lessons from the chessboard. (Munuscript in progress)

Conference Abstracts:

Christophi GP, Scarisbrick IA. 2004. “Tissue-Specific Expression and Differential Regulation of Multiple Kallikrein 6 Transcripts in CNS Demyelinating Disease.” Journal of Neuroscience. October: Supplement. Society for Neuroscience: San Diego, CA.

Christophi GP, Hudson CA, Bonapart KL, and Massa PT. 2005. The Regulation of Arginine Metabolism and Innate Immunity by SHP-1 in the Central Nervous System. The 7th Annual Upstate New York Immunology Conference, Bolton Landing, NY

Hudson CA, Christophi GP,Wu J and Massa PT. PAM3Cys induces type 2 immunity in glia. The Journal of Immunology. 176: Supplement (Immunology 2006)

Christophi GP, Hudson CA, Gruber RC, and Massa PT. 2006. Increased Type 2 Innate Immunity and Virus Replication in SHP-1-Insufficient mice. T. The 8th Annual Upstate New York Immunology Conference, Bolton Landing, NY

Gruber RC, Christophi GP, Hudson CA, and Massa PT, 2006. Effect of Oxidative Stress on Myelin Basic Protein Gene Transcription The 8th Annual Upstate New York Immunology Conference, Bolton Landing, NY

Christophi GP, Hudson CA, and Massa PT. 2007. SHP-1 Promotes Type 1 Immune-Induced Paralytic Disease. Tri-Institutional MD/PhD Research Conference, Syracuse, NY

Christophi GP, Hudson CA, Gruber RC, Jubelt B, Massa PT. 2007. Deficiency of SHP-1 and Increased Cytokine Signaling in Multiple Sclerosis Patients. 40th Meeting of the Society for Leukocyte Biology. Cambridge, MA.