Calman Prussin, M.D.

Chief, Clinical Allergy and Immunology Unit

Dr. Prussin received his M.D. at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. Following a postdoctoral fellowship in the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, NIAID, he completed his allergy and immunology fellowship at NIH (1991-1995). In 1996, Dr. Prussin joined the Laboratory of Allergic Diseases as head of the Clinical Allergy Unit.

Description of Research Program

Current laboratory studies are focused on human T-cell immune responses to allergens. This research examines the role of antigen presenting cells and costimulatory molecules in Th2-cell activation, with the goal of developing in vitro models of Th2-cell-targeted therapy. Current clinical studies are translational in nature and use investigational therapies, e.g., monoclonal antibodies, to understand the relative contribution of T cells and mast cells/basophils to allergic inflammation.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EG) is characterized by eosinophilic inflammation of the gut, gastrointestinal symptoms, and, in about 50% of cases, allergy to a large number of foods. As such, EG is a good model to study the dysregulated immune response that is characteristic of food allergy. Laboratory and clinical studies of EG are focused on understanding the relative contribution of T cells and mast cells to disease pathogenesis. A clinical trial of anti-IgE is in progress to define potential therapeutic targets in EG and to examine if the eosinophilic inflammation seen in EG is IgE dependent.

Major Areas of Research

• Human allergen-specific T-cell cytokine responses
• Eosinophilic gastroenteritis, pathogenesis and treatment
• Immunological therapy of allergic diseases

Memberships

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (Fellow)
• American Thoracic Society

Research Group Members

Shabnam Foroughi, M.D.; Barbara Foster, M.S.; Yuan-Xiong Cheng, M.D., Ph.D.; Yashuhiko Hayashi, M.D.

Selected Recent Publications

To view a complete listing, visit PubMed.

Foster B, Metcalfe DD, Prussin C. Human dendritic cell 1 and dendritic cell 2 subsets express FcepsilonRI: Correlation with serum IgE and allergic asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003. 112: 1132-1138.

Prussin C, Griffith DT, Boesel KM, Lin H, Foster B, Casale TB. Omalizumab treatment downregulates dendritic cell FcepsilonRI expression. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003. 112: 1147-1154.

Devouassoux G, Metcalfe DD, Prussin C. Eotaxin potentiates antigen-dependent basophil IL-4 production. J  Immunol. 163: 2877-2882.

Gurunathan S, Prussin C, Sacks DL, Seder RA. Vaccine requirements for sustained cellular immunity to an intracellular parasitic infection. Nat Med. 1998. 4: 1409-1415.

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