RESEARCH STATEMENT - Chris Migliaccio

My research is focused on lung immunology, specifically, pulmonary macrophage subsets populating the alveolar and interstitial compartments. To delineate the roles of particular macrophage subsets on chronic inflammation of the lung, my projects utilize the silicosis mouse model. In this model wild type mice are exposed to crystalline silica that results in inflammation and, eventually, fibrosis; these results are then compared with a variety of null strains that lack either Th1- or Th2-mediated immunity. Cell populations are analyzed by flow cytometry and sorted for in vitro functional assays. In addition, the direct effects of silica on macrophage function is assessed using bone marrow-derived macrophages in a variety of in vitro assays where surface marker expression, cytokine production, and mRNA expression is analyzed.

PUBLICATIONS

2005 Migliaccio CT, Hamilton RF, Holian A. Increase in a distinct pulmonary macrophage subset possessing an antigen-presenting cell phenotype and in vitro APC activity following silica exposure. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2005 Jun 1;205(2):168-76.
ABSTRACTS

2005 Migliaccio, CT and Holian, A. The murine pulmonary macrophage: Characterization of multiple populations. ATS poster presentation. May 2005.

2005 Migliaccio, CT and Holian, A. Altered activation of T cells by silica-exposed antigen-presenting cells. SOT poster presentation. March 2005.

2004 Migliaccio, CT and Holian, A. The effects of silica on in vitro generated macrophage subsets. SOT, poster presentation, March 2004.