Antonella Casola, M.D.

Associate Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Microbiology & Immunology

Dr. Casola’s research interests involve studies of virus-epithelial cell interactions as they relate to mucosal inflammation. In the past few years, she has been investigating how respiratory syncytialus (RSV) regulates CXC and CC chemokine expression in airway epithelial cells. These studies have used approaches to describe cis and trans control mechanisms in transcriptional regulation of these highly inducible genes. Dr. Casola’s laboratory is currently studying several inducible intracellular signaling pathways activated by RSV in airway epithelial cells with particular emphasis on the role of MAP kinases and reactive oxygen species in RSV induced lung inflammation both in vitro and in vivo, using a mouse model of RSV infection. Her laboratory has also initiated studies to investigate the pathogenesis of a newly identified respiratory virus, called human metapneumovirus (hMPV). They have developed a rodent model of infection and are currently testing the role of specific viral protein using recombinant hMPV, lacking the expression of single or multiple proteins, using in vitro and in vivo approaches.

Selected Publications

  1. Liu T, Castro S, Jamaluddin M, Brasier AR, Garofalo RP and Casola A. ROS mediate viral-induced STAT activation: role of tyrosine phosphatases. J Biol Chem 2004; 279:2461-2469.
  2. Haeberle H, Casola A, Dieterich HJ, Brasier AR, Ernst PB, Gatalica Z and Garofalo RP. I?B kinase is a critical regulator of chemokine expression and lung inflammation in respiratory syncytial virus infection. J Virol 2004;78:2232-41.
  3. Guerrero-Plata A, Baron S, Poast JS, Adegboyega PA, Casola A and RP Garofalo. Activity and regulation of Interferon type I in RSV and hMPV experimental infection. J Virol 2005;79:10190-99.
  4. Liu T, Zaman W, Ansari S, Garofalo RP and Casola A. RSV-induced PGE2 production occurs via cPLA2 activation: role in viral replication. Virology 2005; 343:12-24.
  5. Guerrero-Plata A, Casola A and RP Garofalo. Human metapneumovirus induces a distinct profile of lung cytokines compared to respiratory syncytial virus. J of Virol 2005;79:14992-14997.
  6. Guerrero-Plata A, Casola A, Suarez G, Yu X, Spetch L, Peeples ME and and RP Garofalo. Differential Response of Dendritic Cells to Human Metapneumovirus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus. AJRCB 2006; 34: 320-329.
  7. Indukuri H, Castro S, Liao S, Feeney LA, Dorsch M, Coyle AJ, Garofalo RP, Brasier AR and Casola A. IKKe regulates RSV-induced IRF-3 activation via a redox-sensitive pathway. Virology 2006;353:155-65.
  8. Castro SM, Guerrero-Plata A, Suarez-Real G, Abegboyega PA, Colasurdo GN, Khan AM, Garofalo RP and Casola A. Antioxidant treatment ameliorates RSV-induced disease and pulmonary inflammation (American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2006 in press).