Molecular Immunology

Christopher Karp, MD

Title

Gunnar Esiason/Cincinnati Bell Chair

Director, Division of Molecular Immunology

Director, Cystic Fibrosis Research Center

Appointment

Professor of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Email

chris.karp@cchmc.org

Phone

513-636-7608

Fax

513-636-5355

Credentials

BA:summa cum laude, with high honors in Philosophy, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, 1978

MD: University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 1986

Internal Medicine: Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, 1986-1987.

Internal Medicine: Georgetown University Hospital, Georgetown University, 1987-1989.

NRSA Fellow: Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, NIAID, 1989-1992.

Fellow in Infectious Diseases: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1992-1993.

Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners, 1987

Diplomate in Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, 1989

Diplomate in Infectious Disease, American Board of Internal Medicine, 1994

Certificate of Knowledge in Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health, ASTMH, 1995

Awards and Honors

Council, Society for Leukocyte Biology, 2007-current
Chair, Program Committee, International Endotoxin and Innate Immunity Society, 2006
Gunnar Esisason/Cincinnati Bell Professorship, 2005
Chair, Program Committee, Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2004
Member, American Society of Clinical Investigation, 2003
Faculty of 1000, 2002
Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 1999
Sandoz Clinician Scientist Award, Johns Hopkins University, 1994
NRSA Award (individual), NIAID, 1989-92
Medical School Merit Award, University of North Carolina, 1985
John Motley Morehead Fellow in Medicine, University of North Carolina, 1982-86
High honors in philosophy, Brandeis University, 1978
Summa cum laude, Brandeis University, 1978
Phi Beta Kappa, Brandeis University, 1978

Research

The Karp lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying regulation and dysregulation of inflammatory responses in human infectious, autoimmune and genetic diseases. Interrelated, ongoing areas of study include:

The molecular mechanisms underlying dysregulation of pulmonary inflammatory responses in cystic fibrosis;
Modifier genes for cystic fibrosis lung disease;
Mechanisms of inflammation resolution: lipoxin and resolvin biology;
Immune counter-regulation in leishmaniasis;
In vivo regulation of IL-10 production;
Biology and control of Toll-like receptor-driven signaling pathways in health and disease.

Lab Members

Leah Flick, BA, Lab Manager
Aurelien Trompette, BA, Research Assistant
Jamie Warning, Research Assistant
Jaclyn McAlees, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow
Jessica Allen, PhD Candidate
Senad Divanovic, PhD; Post-Doctoral Fellow
Isaac Harley, MD, PhD Candidate
Nicholas Boespflug, MD, PhD Candidate
Stephanie Walters, PhD Candidate

Research Grants and Contracts

National Institutes of Health, #R01 HL079312 4/2005-2/2010

Lipid mediators and dysregulated inflammation in CF

National Institutes of Health, #R01 AI075159 7/2007-6/2012

Regulation of TLR Signaling and Innate Immunity by RP105

National Institutes of Health, #R01 HL094576 8/2009-7/2013

Immunobiology of IFRD1, a gene modifying CF lung disease.

Sandler Program for Asthma Research Senior Investigator Award 7/2006-6/2010

The role of aeroallergen mimics of TLR complex proteins in asthma pathogenesis

National Institutes of Health,# R41 AI082812 7/2009-6/2010

Novel Immune-based therapy for Leishmaniasis and TB.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation RDP Center 8/2007-7/2012

Publications, Most Recent

Murai M, Turovskaya O, Kim G, Madan R, Karp CL, Cheroutre H, Kronenberg M. IL-10 acts on regulatory T cells to maintain expression of the transcription factor Foxp3 and suppressive function in mice with colitis.Nature Immunology. 2009. Published online 27 September 2009; doi:10.1038/ni.1791.

Sun J, Madan R, Karp CL, Braciale TJ. Effector T Cells Control Lung Inflammatio During Acute Influenza Virus Infection by Producing IL-10.Nature Medicine: Vol# 15, pp. 277-84, 2009.

Pot C, Jin H, Awasthi A, Liu SM, Lai CY, Madan R, Sharpe AH , Karp CL, Miaw SC, Ho IC, Kuchroo VK. Cutting Edge: IL-27 Induces the Transcription Factor c-Maf, Cytokine IL-21, and the Contimulatory Receptor ICOS that Coordinately Act Together to Promote Differentiation of IL-10 Producing Tr1 Cells. J Immunology: Jun Vol# 183, pp. 797-801, 2009.

Madan, R, Demirick F, Divanovic S, Trompette A, Allen J, Gu Y, Khoudon M, Hildeman D, Cardin R, Finkelman F, Mohrs M, Mueller W, Roers A, Waisman A, Karp CL. Non-Redundant Counter-regularoty Roles for B Cell-Derived IL-10. J Immunology: Jul Vol#183, pp.2312-20, 2009.

Tschöp MH, Hugenholtz P, and Karp CL. Getting to the Core of the Gut Microbiome.Nature Biotechnology: Vol# 27, pp. 344-46, 2009.

Gu YY, Harley ITW, Henderson LB, Aronow BJ, Vietor I, Huber LA, Harley JB, Kilpatrick JR, Langefeld CD, Williams AH, Jegga AG, Chen J, Wills-Karp M, Arshad SH, Ewart SL, Thio CL, Flick LM, Filippi MD, Grimes HL, Drumm ML, Cutting GR, Knowles MR, Karp CL. Identification of IFRD1 as a modifier gene for cystic fibrosis lung disease.Nature Advanced Online Publication 2/25/09. 10.1038/nature07811. 2009.

Sun J, Madan R, Karp CL, Braciale TJ. Effector T cells control lung inflammation during acute influenza virus infection by producing IL-10.Nature Medicine Advanced Online Publication 2/22/09. 10.1038/nm.1929. 2009.

Trompette A, Divanovic S, Visintin A, Madan R, Blanchard C, Hegde RS, Wills-Karp M, Gioannini TL, Weiss JP, Karp CL. Allergenicity resulting from functional mimicry of a Toll-like receptor complex protein, MD-2.Nature 2008;457:585-8.

Nebert DW, Karp CL. Endogenous functions of the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor: Intersection of cytochrome P450 (CYP1)-metabolized eicosanoids and AHR biology.J Biol Chem 2008;283:36061-5.

Dragin N, Shi Z, Madan R, Karp CL, Sartor MA, Chen C, Gonzalez FJ, Nebert DW. Phenotype of the Cyp1a1/1a2/1b1(-/-) triple knockout mouse.Molecular Pharmacology 2008;73(6):1844-56.

Byrnes AA, Li D, Park K, Thompson D, Mocilnikar C, Mohan P, Molleston JP, Narkewicz M, Zhou H, Wolf SF, Schwarz, Karp CL. Modulation of the IL-12/IFN-gamma axis by IFN-alpha therapy for hepatitis C. J Leukocyte Biol 2007;81(3):825-34.

Auwaerter PG, Karp CL. Coinfection with HIV and tropical infectious diseases I: Protozoal pathogens.Clin Infect Dis 2007;45(9):1208-14.

Auwaerter PG, Karp CL. Coinfection with HIV and tropical infectious diseases II: Helminthic, fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens.Clin Infect Dis 2007;45(9):1214-20.

Reckling S, Divanovic S, Karp CL, Wojciechowski S, Belkaid Y, Hildeman D. Pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bim promotes persistent infection and limits protective immunity.Infect Immunity 2008;76(3):1179-85.

Karp CL. Book Review: The strangest song: One father’s quest to help his daughter find her voice. J Clin Invest 2007;117(5):1117.

Karp CL, Colebunders R. Approach to the patient with HIV and coinfecting tropical infectious diseases. in Tropical Infectious Diseases: Principles, Pathogens, and Practice, 2ND Edition; ed. Guerrant RL, Walker DH, and Weller PF. Elsevier Churchill Livingstone, Philadelphia. 2006. 1642-84.

Divanovic C, Trompette A, Petiniot LK, Allen JA, Flick LM, Belkaid Y, Madan R, Haky JJ Karp CL. Regulation of TLR4 Signaling and the Host Interface with Pathogens and Danger: The Role of RP105.J Leukocyte Biol 2007;82(2):265-71.

Byrnes AA, Li DY, Park K, Thompson D, Mocilnikar C, Mohan P, Molleston JP, Narkewicz M, Zhou H, Wolf SF, Schwarz KB, Karp CL. (2006) Modulation of the IL-12/IFN-{gamma} axis by IFN-{alpha} therapy for hepatitis C.J Leukoc Biol.

Tripathi P, Madan R, Chougnet C, Divanovic S, Ma X, Wahl LM, Gajewski T, Karp CL, Hildeman DA. (2006) An adenoviral vector for probing promoter activity in primary immune cells.J Immunol Methods 311:19-30.