Research Summary

My laboratory studies tyrosine kinase based signal transduction in innate immune cells. Our general approach involves examination of innate immune function in knockout mice lacking various members of the Src-family or Syk family of tyrosine kinases. Many of these studies also involve use of mice lacking these kinases in specific hematopoietic lineages, such as neutrophils, macrophages or DCs, generated through Cre/Lox technology. We have also used this approach to study other tyrosine kinases (Pyk2/Fak) and intracellular signaling molecules (WASp, STIM1) in innate immune cells. Our major findings have illuminated the function of Src-family and Syk kinases in leukocyte integrin signaling—loss of these kinases results in significant defects in inflammatory and host defense functions mediated by integrins. We have found that leukocyte integrin signaling utilizes the same intracellular pathways initiated by classical immunoreceptors (e.g., FcγRs) by co-opting ITAM-containing adapter proteins. We have also demonstrated the important ways these kinases regulate innate immune cells in the setting of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, using the Lyn kinase-deficient model. Ongoing studies also involve examination of tyrosine phosphatases (mainly SHP-1) in the counter regulation tyrosine kinases, especially in the setting of hematopoietic malignancy, as well as studies of calcium signaling proteins, using mice lacking these genes specifically in myeloid lineage cells.

Research Funding

  • February 1, 2015 - January 31, 2020 - Regulation of Innate Immune Signaling by Lyn Kinase, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NIAID, Sponsor Award ID: R01AI113272
  • August 1, 2000 - January 31, 2017 - Signaling by Cytoplasmic Tyrosine Kinases in Leukocytes, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NIAID, Sponsor Award ID: R01AI068150
  • July 15, 2008 - June 30, 2013 - Innate immune regulation of inflammation and adaptive immunity, Co-Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NIAID, Sponsor Award ID: P01AI078869
  • September 30, 2005 - August 31, 2011 - Transfusion and Lung Injury, Co-Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NHLBI, Sponsor Award ID: P50HL081027

Education

Stanford University, B.S., 1979, Biology
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, M.D., 1986, Medicine
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Ph.D., 1986, Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

Honors & Awards

  • 1979
    Phi Beta Kappa, Stanford University
  • 1979-86
    Medical Scientist Training Program Scholarship, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
  • 1986
    Alpha Omega Alpha, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
  • 1990
    Diplomat of American Board of Internal Medicine
  • 1992
    Awardee Howard Hughes Physician Scientist Training Fellowship
  • 1997
    Awardee American Society of Hematology Junior Faculty Scholar Award
  • 2000
    Awardee Stewart Family Trust Scholar Award
  • 2000
    Awardee Leukemia Research Foundation New Investigator Award
  • 2001
    Awardee Leukemia/Lymphoma Society Scholar Award
  • 2003
    UCSF Immunology Program Annual Student-selected Faculty Speaker
  • 2003
    Appointed Associate Director, UCSF M.D.-Ph.D. (MSTP) Program
  • 2005
    Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) - elected organizer 2007 meeting

Selected Publications

  1. Kangelaris KN, Clemens R, Fang X, Jauregui A, Liu T, Vessel K, Deiss T, Sinha P, Leligdowicz A, Liu KD, Zhuo H, Alder MN, Wong HR, Calfee CS, Lowell CA, Matthay MA A Neutrophil Subset Defined by Intracellular Olfactomedin 4 is Associated with Mortality in Sepsis.  View on PubMed
  2. Cleary SJ, Kwaan N, Tian JJ, Calabrese DR, Mallavia B, Magnen M, Greenland JR, Urisman A, Singer JP, Hays SR, Kukreja J, Hay AM, Howie HL, Toy P, Lowell CA, Morrell CN, Zimring JC, Looney MR Complement activation on endothelium initiates antibody-mediated acute lung injury.  View on PubMed
  3. Myers DR, Abram CL, Wildes D, Belwafa A, Welsh AMN, Schulze CJ, Choy TJ, Nguyen T, Omaque N, Hu Y, Singh M, Hansen R, Goldsmith MA, Quintana E, Smith JAM, Lowell CA Shp1 Loss Enhances Macrophage Effector Function and Promotes Anti-Tumor Immunity.  View on PubMed
  4. Grimes D, Johnson R, Pashos M, Cummings C, Kang C, Sampedro GR, Tycksen E, McBride HJ, Sah R, Lowell CA, Clemens RA ORAI1 and ORAI2 modulate murine neutrophil calcium signaling, cellular activation, and host defense.  View on PubMed
  5. Liang J, Zhang JJ, Huang HI, Kanayama M, Youssef N, Jin YJ, Reyes EY, Abram CL, Yang S, Lowell CA, Wang D, Shao L, Shinohara ML, Zhang JY, Hammer GE The Ubiquitin-Modifying Enzyme A20 Terminates C-Type Lectin Receptor Signals and Is a Suppressor of Host Defense against Systemic Fungal Infection.  View on PubMed
  6. Poh AR, Dwyer AR, Eissmann MF, Chand AL, Baloyan D, Boon L, Murrey MW, Whitehead L, O'Brien M, Lowell CA, Putoczki TL, Pixley FJ, O'Donoghue RJJ, Ernst M Inhibition of the SRC Kinase HCK Impairs STAT3-Dependent Gastric Tumor Growth in Mice.  View on PubMed
  7. Mahiddine K, Blaisdell A, Ma S, Créquer-Grandhomme A, Lowell CA, Erlebacher A Relief of tumor hypoxia unleashes the tumoricidal potential of neutrophils.  View on PubMed
  8. Rohwedder I, Kurz ARM, Pruenster M, Immler R, Pick R, Eggersmann T, Klapproth S, Johnson JL, Alsina SM, Lowell CA, Mócsai A, Catz SD, Sperandio M Src family kinase-mediated vesicle trafficking is critical for neutrophil basement membrane penetration.  View on PubMed
  9. Cappenberg A, Margraf A, Thomas K, Bardel B, McCreedy DA, Van Marck V, Mellmann A, Lowell CA, Zarbock A L-selectin shedding affects bacterial clearance in the lung: a new regulatory pathway for integrin outside-in signaling.  View on PubMed
  10. Ma J, Abram CL, Hu Y, Lowell CA CARD9 mediates dendritic cell-induced development of Lyn deficiency-associated autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.  View on PubMed
  11. Clemens RA, Lowell CA CRAC channel regulation of innate immune cells in health and disease.  View on PubMed
  12. McCreedy DA, Lee S, Sontag CJ, Weinstein P, Olivas AD, Martinez AF, Fandel TM, Trivedi A, Lowell CA, Rosen SD, Noble-Haeusslein LJ Early Targeting of L-Selectin on Leukocytes Promotes Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury, Implicating Novel Mechanisms of Pathogenesis.  View on PubMed
  13. Rubenstein JL, Geng H, Fraser EJ, Formaker P, Chen L, Sharma J, Killea P, Choi K, Ventura J, Kurhanewicz J, Lowell C, Hwang J, Treseler P, Sneed PK, Li J, Wang X, Chen N, Gangoiti J, Munster PN, Damato B Phase 1 investigation of lenalidomide/rituximab plus outcomes of lenalidomide maintenance in relapsed CNS lymphoma.  View on PubMed
  14. Herter JM, Margraf A, Volmering S, Correia BE, Bradshaw JM, Bisconte A, Hill RJ, Langrish CL, Lowell CA, Zarbock A PRN473, an inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase, inhibits neutrophil recruitment via inhibition of macrophage antigen-1 signalling.  View on PubMed
  15. Rosales C, Lowell CA, Schnoor M, Uribe-Querol E Neutrophils: Their Role in Innate and Adaptive Immunity 2017.  View on PubMed
  16. Zikherman J, Lowell CA B cell autoimmunity at the extremes.  View on PubMed
  17. Sinha M, Lowell CA Efficiency and Specificity of Gene Deletion in Lung Epithelial Doxycycline-Inducible Cre Mice.  View on PubMed
  18. Clemens RA, Chong J, Grimes D, Hu Y, Lowell CA STIM1 and STIM2 cooperatively regulate mouse neutrophil store-operated calcium entry and cytokine production.  View on PubMed
  19. Costa S, Marini O, Bevilacqua D, DeFranco AL, Hou B, Lonardi S, Vermi W, Rodegher P, Panato A, Tagliaro F, Lowell CA, Cassatella MA, Girolomoni G, Scapini P Role of MyD88 signaling in the imiquimod-induced mouse model of psoriasis: focus on innate myeloid cells.  View on PubMed
  20. Abram CL, Lowell CA Shp1 function in myeloid cells.  View on PubMed

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