Lisa Johnson

Center for Immunology
Department of Lab Medicine & Pathology
University of Minnesota
MMC 334
420 Delaware St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Lab: 612/625-1626
Fax: 612/625-2199

email: joh01715@umn.edu

Positions

Research Associate, Clinical Immunology, Dendreon
Corporation, Seattle, WA, 2000-2004

Education

B.S., Biology/Biotechnology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 2000

Current Research

CD8 T cells that have undergone homeostatic proliferation (HP) in a lymphopenic environment have the phenotypic characteristics of antigen-primed memory cells without having experienced cognate antigen. I am interested in factors that negatively regulate homeostatic proliferation, such as TGF-Î2. We have found that TGF-Î2 plays a role in inhibiting homeostatic proliferation, likely preventing potentially self-reactive clones from becoming pathogenic. Interestingly, TGF-Î2 appears to play a role in supporting antigen-primed memory cells, as we have found that memory OT-I T cells that express a dominant negative form of the TGF-Î2 receptor type II, expand poorly upon secondary infection compared to wild-type OT-I. My other project has focused on self-specific CD8 T cells. Upon encountering a lymphopenic environment these cells divide very slowly and and fail to acquire a memory-like phenotype. The goal is this project is to determine if self-specific CD8 T cells can be driven in some way that will make them recognize and control tumor growth.

Publications

The antigen-specific CD8+ T cell repertoire in unimmunized mice includes memory phenotype cells bearing markers of homeostatic expansion. 2009 Haluszczak C, Akue AD, Hamilton SE, Johnson LD, Pujanauski L, Teodorovic L, Jameson SC, Kedl RM. J Exp Med. Feb 16;206(2):435-448.

Review Articles

Modiano, J.F., L.D.S. Johnson, and D. Bellgrau. 2008. Negative
Regulators in homeostasis of naïve peripheral T cells. Immunologic
Research. 41:137-53