Andrea Keane-Myers, Ph.D.

Chief, Allergic Inflammation Section

Dr. Keane-Myers obtained her Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in molecular microbiology and immunology. Following postdoctoral research at Johns Hopkins and Harvard Medical School, she joined the Laboratory of Allergic Diseases in the fall of 2000.

Description of Research Program

This section studies how cytokines and chemokines affect the allergic response. In particular, we are interested in understanding how parasitic disease influences allergic disease parameters. Recent findings suggest that parasites such as Ascaris suum can affect the allergic response through the development of T-regulatory cells. The development of such cells leads to protection from systemic allergic inflammation. The methodology employed in these studies includes the use of whole body plethysmographs and intubation to assess changes in airway hyperresponsiveness as well as the use of relatively novel technology, such as mouse MRI, to observe cell trafficking in real time. We believe that incorporating physiologic techniques along with cellular and molecular biology approaches allows us to fully appreciate all the dimensions of the allergic phenomenon. Once we have identified genes and proteins that appear to be important in our mouse models of allergic diseases, we are planning to collaborate with the clinical side of the department to determine if the same gene dysregulation is operating in patients with asthma and other types of allergic inflammation.

Memberships

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
• American Association of Immunologists
• Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
• Society for Leukocyte Biology

Selected Recent Publications

To view a complete listing, visit PubMed.

Kunert KS, Keane-Myers AM, Spurr-Michaud S, Tisdale AS, Gipson IK. Alteration in goblet cell numbers and mucin gene expression in a mouse model of allergic conjunctivitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2001. 42: 2483-2489.

Keane-Myers, A. The pathogenesis of allergic conjunctivitis. Curr. Allergy and Asthma Rep. 2001. 1: 550-557.

Luccioli S, Brody D, Hassan S, Keane-Myers A, Prussin C, Metcalfe DD. IgE+ Kit- I-A/I-E myeloid cells are the initial source of IL-4 following antigen challenge in the mouse model of allergic pulmonary inflammation. J Allergy and Clinical Immunol. 2002. 110: 117-124.

Isenberg-Feig H, Justice JP, Keane-Myers A. Animal models of allergic asthma. Curr. Allergy Asthma Rep. 2003. 3(1): 70-78.

Bundoc V, Keane-Myers A. Animal models of ocular allergy. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003. 3(5): 375-379.

Schopf L, Luccioli S, Bundoc V, Justice JP, Chan C-C, Wetzel BJ, Norris HH, Urban JF, Keane-Myers A. Differential modulation of allergic eye disease by chronic and acute Ascaris infection. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005. 46(8): 2772-2780.

Al-Shami A, Spolski R, Kelly J, Keane-Myers A, Leonard WJ. A role for TSLP in the development of inflammation in an asthma model. J Exp Med. In press 2005.

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