Melba Munoz Roldan

Present Position: Graduate Student

Previous Position: Postdoctoral fellow, Johns Hopkins University

MD:  University of Cartagena, Colombia

Research interests: Immune responses to Leishmania.  Macrophage cytokine induction by immune complex.

Publications:

1. Barnes KC, Caraballo L, Munoz M, Zambelli-Weiner A, Ehrlich E, Burki M, Jimenez S, Mathias RA, Stockton ML, Deindl P, Mendoza L, Hershey GK, Nickel R, Wills-Karp M. A novel promoter polymorphism in the gene encoding complement component 5 receptor 1 on chromosome 19q13.3 is not associated with asthma and atopy in three independent populations Clin Exp Allergy. 2004 May;34(5):736-44.

2. Munoz M., Zambelli-Weiner A., Grant A., Lorenzo M., Ehrlich E., Burki M, Gao L., Ye S., Beaty TH., Garcia JGN. and Barnes KC. Association Between Variants in the Gene Encoding Myosin Light Chain Kinase (MLCK) and Asthma and Atopy. J Allergy Clin Immunol, Vol 113. No 2, Feb 2004.

3. Munoz M., Zhang S., Grant A., Held K., Chilton F., Surrette M., Allayee H., Barnes KC. 5-Lipoxygenase (ALOX5) Promoter Polymorphism is not associated with asthma in a Caucasian Isolate. J Allergy Clin Immunol, Vol 115. No 2, Feb 2005.

Research Summary:

Leishmania spp have evolved different mechanisms to evade the host immune response. Macrophages and dendritic cells activation is impaired during Leishmaniasis. My project involves the development of transgenic parasites that enhance innate immunity responses and are able to activate macrophages through TLRs. Parasites expressing a highly immunogenic protein from Rhodococcus equi, VapA, could activate macrophages more efficiently through TLR2 ligation. We hypothesize that this would lead to a better adaptive immune response in the host.