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Microbiology and Immunology

 

Steven B. Mizel
Professor

B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1969
Ph.D., Stanford University, 1972

e-mail:

smizel@wfubmc.edu

phone:

(336) 716-2216

students:

Kristen Delaney
Eric Weimer

fellow:

John Bates

"Training the next generation of scientists is one of my greatest pleasures.  It is so exciting to see a student move from the initial stage of struggling to make the simplest assay work in the lab to the advanced stage of skillfully defining the direction of their project and using novel methods to achieve answers to challenging research questions.  It is my sincere hope that during a student's tenure in my lab, the student and I establish a bond that will continue in the years to come."

Adjuvant properties of Gram-negative flagellin

In view of the extraordinary potency of flagellin as an activator of cells that are involved in host defense, we are focusing on the adjuvant properties of flagellin in the context of acellular vaccines against Yersinia pestis, anthrax, pneumococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and poxviruses.  Our work has revealed that flagellin is a highly potent adjuvant and effective adjuvant that promotes the development of a protective response against a lethal respiratory challenge with Y. pestis in mice.  In addition, we have also found that flagellin is effective as an adjuvant in two species of non-human primates.  Current work is addressing questions related to the mechanism of action of flagellin and its potential efficacy in the aged immune system.  In addition, we are completing the preclinical development of a vaccine against Yersinia pestis that may enter Phase I clinical trials as early as Spring, 2009.

Publications

Honko, AN, SB Mizel. Mucosal administration of flagellin induces innate immunity in the mouse lung. Infect. Immun. 72:6676-6679, 2004.

Honko, AN, SB Mizel. Effects of flagellin on innate and adaptive immunity. Immunol. Res. 33:83-102, 2005.

Honko AN, N Sriranganathan, CJ Lees, and SB Mizel. Flagellin is an effective adjuvant for immunization against lethal respiratory challenge with Yersinia pestis. Infect. Immun. 74:1112-1120, 2006.

Bates JT, AN Honko, AH Graff, ND Kock, SB Mizel. Mucosal adjuvant activity of flagellin in aged mice. Mech. Ageing Dev. 129:271-281, 2008.

PubMed link to Mizel SB

Revised: June 18, 2008