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Alan S Cross
M.D.
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| Academic Title:
Professor |
| Primary Appointment:
Medicine |
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ACROSS@MEDICINE.UMARYLAND.EDU |
| Location:
HSF1,
Room 480 |
| Phone:
(410) 706-5328 |
| Fax:
(410) 706-6205 |
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Research Interests
Dr. Cross has three major areas of interest: the development of a vaccine for the prevention and treatment of sepsis; the early interactions of B. anthracis (BA) with the host immune system and the role of sialic acid in innate and adaptive immunity. A previous phase I study with a detoxified endotoxin vaccine complexed to group B meningococcal outer membrane protein revealed that while the vaccine was well-tolerated, it was only weakly immunogenic. Currently, preclinical studies in murine models as well as clinical studies in human subjects are continuing with this vaccine given in conjunction with novel adjuvants. The relative roles of Toll-like receptors as well as Fc receptors in mediating macrophage killing of B. anthracis is another focus of the laboratory. The ability of the various BA structures (spore and vegetative forms and exosporium) to initiate macrophage signaling pathways leading to the killing of the organism is being characterized, and the effect of anthrax toxins on myeloid function are being defined. Finally, we found that the sialidase (neuraminidase) activity of various cells in the immune system is an essential element of innate and adaptive immunity. Currently the laboratory is focusing on the mechanisms by which human neutrophil sialidase regulates cellular trafficking in both in vivo and in vitro model systems. These studies rely on endothelial cell culture systems as well as murine models of inflammation.
Publications
Roghmann M, Taylor KL, Gupta A, Zhan M, Johnson JA, Cross A, Edelman R and Fattom A. Epidemiology of capsular and surface polysaccharide in S. aureus infections complicated by bacteremia. J. Hosp Infect. 2005;59:27-32.
Opal SM, Palardy JE, Chen WH, Parejo NA, Bhattacharjee AK, Cross AS. Active immunization with a detoxified endotoxin vaccine protects against lethal polymicrobial sepsis: its use with CpG adjuvant and potential mechanisms. J. Infect. Dis 2005;192:2074-2080.
Jain M, Titanji R, Rapoport AP, Wang W, Gocke C, Cross A, Akpek G. A fatal Clostridium infection in an allogeneic stem cell transplant recipient. Bone Marrow Transplantation 2005, 1-3.
Kang TJ, Fenton MJ, Weiner MA, Hibbs S, Basu S, Baillie L, Cross AS. Murine macrophages kill the vegetative form of Bacillus anthracis. Infect Immun 2005; 73:7495-7501.
Dinits-Pensy M, Forrest G, Cross AS, Hise M. The use of vaccines in adult patients` with renal disease. American J. Kidney Diseases 2005;46:997-1011
Rapoport AP*, Stadtmauer EA*, Aqui N*, Badros A, Cotte J, Chrisley L, Veloso E, Zheng Z, Westphal S, Mair S, Chi N, Ratterree B, Pochran MF, Natt S, Hinkle J, Sickles C, Sohal A, Ruehle K, Lynch C, Zhang L, Porter DL, Luger S, Guo C, Fang H-B, Blackwelder W, Hankey K, Mann D, Edelman R, Frasch C, Levine BL*, Cross A*, June CH*. Restoration of immunity in lymphopenic cancer patients by combination vaccination and adoptive T cell transfer. Nature Medicine 2005;11:1230-7. (* equal contributors)
McNeely T, Luo S, Manger W, Herber W, Schofield T, Tan C, Newman K, Sadoff J, Donnelly J, Cross A. Development of an opsonin inhibition assay for evaluation of complex polysaccharide protective epitopes. Vaccine, 2005(in press).
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