Dr. Alan Young
Degrees:
PhD. Immunology University of Toronto, Toronto Ontario Canada. 1994
BSc Immunology/Microbiology, University of Toronto, Toronto Ontario, Canada. 1989
Address:
NPB252A, Box2140D
Department of Biology and Microbiology, SDSU Brookings, SD. 57007
E-Mail: alan.young@sdstate.edu
Phone: 605-688-5982
Department Affiliations:
1) Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Microbiology, SDSU
2) Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Science, SDSU
Teaching Responsibilities:
MICR422 - Immunology
MICR 323/324 - Medical Microbiology
Research Interests:
My lab is interested in general aspects of the role of cell migration in health and disease, and in species-specific aspects of domestic-animal immunology. I have two general foci-the development of the immune system in fetal and neonatal life, and the regulation of cell migration through normal and stimulated lymph nodes.
Sheep provide a unique system in which to examine the developing immune system, since the fetus develops in an essentially sterile environment until birth. This allows analysis of the role of foreign microbes in regulating development of the immune system, and permits engraftment of multipotential stem cells from sheep or other species, including humans. In collaborative projects with Harvard University and the University of Basel, we are examining the development of mature cell populations from immature stem cells transplanted into the sheep fetus.
My second interest lies in understanding the role of cell migration in the immune response. The immune system is a unique organ, in that it's component cells are not confined within a single tissue but carry out their function disseminated throughout the body. It is this continual "recirculation" of immune cells that allows the body to simultaneously examine all tissues for infection, and to disseminate "memory" lymphocytes throughout the body to protect against future infection. The lymph node is the basic functional unit of the immune system, and I am interested in examining its role in regulating this cell traffic. In previous experiments, I have identified a unique subset of B cells (antibody-producing cells) found only in sheep and cows, which may play important roles in the defense against intestinal pathogens in these animals. In other studies, we are examining the role of another important cell type, the dendritic cell, in spreading the immune response and memory throughout the body. In collaborative studies, we are attempting to identify dendritic cells which carry pathogenic prion protein in sheep in order to further understand the biology of prion diseases such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, Mad Cow Disease).
Society Memberships:
1) American Association of Immunologists
2) American Association of Veterinary Immunologists
3) International Society of Lymphology
Representative Publications:
Su, M. Young, A.J., He, C., West, C.A. Mentzer, SJ. (2001) Biphasic response of the regional lymphatics in the normal lymphocyte transfer (NLT) reaction. Transplant. 72(3): 516-522
West, CA, He, C., Su, M., Secomb, TW, Konderding, MA, Young, A.J., Mentzer, SJ. (2001) Focal topographic changes in the inflammatory microcirculation associated with lymphocyte slowing and transmigration. Am. J. Physiol.: Heart Circ Physiol.: 281(4): H1742-H1750
Young, A.J., Dudler, W.L., Marston, W.L. (2000) Subset-specific regulation of the lymphatic exit of recirculating lymphocytes in vivo. J. Immunol., 165:3168-3174.
Seabrook, T.J., Hein, W.R., Dudler, L., and Young, A.J. (2000) Splenectomy selectively affects the distribution and mobility of the recirculating lymphocyte pool. Blood, 96:1180-1183.
Young, A.J., Marston, W.L., Dudler, L. (2000) An enhanced role for the recirculating lymphocyte in the neonatal immune system. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 24(6-7):691-701.
Young, A.J., Seabrook, T.J., Marston, W.L., Dudler, L., and Hay, J.B. (2000). A role for lymphatic endothelium in the sequestration of recirculating gd-T cells in TNFa stimulated lymph nodes. Eur. J. Immunol. 30(1):327-334. |
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