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Torrey Pines Institute for
Molecular Studies
3550 General Atomics Court, 2-129
San Diego, CA 92121-1122
USA
Scientists
Eli Sercarz
Member
Immune Regulation

858.455.3824 - phone
858.455.3822 - fax

Sercarz, a native of New York, received his Ph.D. in Immunology at Harvard University in 1960 and had postdoctoral research fellowships at Harvard (1956-1960) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1962-1963). Dr. Sercarz also held various positions in the Department of Bacteriology (1963-1970), the Department of Microbiology (1970-1997) and the Department of Immunology (1992-1997) at the University of California at Los Angeles.

IDr. Sercarz has discovered that EAE, an MS-like disease in mice, is brought on by a specific group of immune cells, or T cells that drive the disease. By investigating these “driver” immune cells, Dr. Sercarz hopes to find the reason why these specific cells induce inflammation and have such a detrimental effect on the brain and spinal cord. He hopes to use these specific T cells to develop a vaccine that might stimulate the regulatory cells and treat humans with new vaccination strategies.

Positions and Honors

  • 1956-1960 Predoctoral fellow in Cellular Immunology, Harvard University, with Prof. A.H. Coons
  • 1960-1962 Postdoctoral fellow of the NIH, (Harvard University) with Dr. Luigi Gorini
  • 1962-1963 Postdoctoral fellow of the NIH, (MIT) with Dr. Salvador Luria
  • 1963-1967 Assistant Professor of Immunology, UCLA
  • 1967-1970 Associate Professor of Immunology, UCLA
  • 1970-1990 Professor I to VIII of Immunology, UCLA
  • 1990-1997 Professor, above-scale, UCLA
  • 1997-2002 Member & Head, Division of Immune Regulation,
    La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, CA
  • 2002-present Member & Head, Division of Immune Regulation,
    Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, San Diego, CA

Honors and Awards

  • Guggenheim Fellow - National Institute for Medical Research, London (Mill Hill), 1970 - 1971
    Laboratory of N.A. Mitchison
  • Guggenheim Fellow - Centre d' Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy in the lab of Dr. Pierre Golstein,
    August 1977- July 1978
  • Exchange Appointee - National Academy of Sciences - (USA/USSR), Sept-Oct, 1983
  • Distinguished Immunologist Lectureships or Appointments

University of Pennsylvania, 198l - 1991

University of Texas-Galveston - 1985

University of Minnesota - 1986

MayoMedical School - 1987

University of Maryland - 1988

Chicago Association of Immunologists - 1991

University of Texas (Dallas) - 1992

Shanghai University - 1994

National Academy of Science, Institute of Medicine, Commission on Vaccine Priorities, 1994 - 1996

Washington University, St. Louis, 1996

University of Wisconsin, 1996

Burroughs-Welcome Lecturer, Johns Hopkins University, 1998

Publications

  1. Raja-Gabaglia, C., de Durana, Y., Graham, F., Gauldie, J., Sercarz, E., and Braciak, T. Attenuation of the glucocorticoid response during Ad5IL-12 adenovirus vector treatment enhances NK cell-mediated killing of MHC class I-negative LNCaP prostate tumors. Cancer Res. 67(5): 2290-7, 2007.
  2. Quinn, A., McInerney, M., Huffman, D., McInerney B., Haskins, K., Sercarz, E.E. T cells to a dominant epitope of GAD65 express a public CDR3 motif. Int'l. Immun. 18(6):967-979, 2006.
  3. Dai, Y.D., Carayanniotis, G., Sercarz, E. Antigen processing by autoreactive B cells promotes determinant spreading. Cell. Mol. Immunol. 2:169-175, 2005.
  4. Dai, Y.D., Jensen, K.P., Lehuen, A., Masteller, E.L., Bluestone, J.A., Wilson, D.B., Sercarz, E. A peptide of glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 can recruit and expand a diabetogenic T cell clone, BDC2.5, in the pancreas. J. Immunol. 175:3621-3627, 2005.
  5. Giannoni, F., Barnett, J., Bi, K., Samodal, R., Lanza, P., Marchese, P., Billetta, R., Vita, R., Klein, M.R., Prakken, R., Kwok, W.W., Sercarz, E., Altman, A., Albani, S. Clustering of T cell ligands on artificial APC membranes influences T cell activation and protein kinase C theta translocation to the T cell plasma membrane. J. Immunol. 174:3204-3211, 2005.
  6. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. Feedback regulation of autoimmunity via TCR-centered regulation. Int. Rev. Immunol. 24:199-209, 2005.
  7. Moudgil, K.D, Sercarz, E.E. Crypticity of self antigenic determinants is the cornerstone of a theory of autoimmunity. Discovery Medicine 5:378-382, 2005.
  8. Moudgil, K.D., Sercarz, E.E. Understanding crypticity is the key to revealing the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. Trends Immunol. 26:355-359, 2005.
  9. Sun, W., Nie, H., Li, N., Zang, Y.C., Zhang, D., Feng, G., Ni, L., Xu, R., Prasad, S., Robinson, R.R., Ho, W., Sercarz, E., Zhang, J.Z. Skewed T-cell receptor BV14 and BV16 expression and shared CDR3 sequence and common sequence motifs in synovial T cells of rheumatoid arthritis. Genes Immun. 1-14, 2005.
  10. Tang, X., Purohit, N., Bakamjian, B., Maricic, I., Sercarz, E., Kumar, V. Identification of a CD8 T cells in immune hemeostasis. FASEB Journal, 19(4):33, 2005.
  11. Gabaglia, C.R., Sercarz, E.E., Diaz-De-Durana, Y., Hitt, M., Graham, F.L., Gauldie, J., Braciak, T.A. Life-long systemic protection in mice vaccinated with L. major and adenovirus IL-12 vector requires active infection, macrophages and intact lymph nodes. Vaccine 23:247-257, 2004.
  12. Honda, A., Ametani, A., Matsumoto, T., Iwaya, A., Kano, H., Hachimura, S., Ohkawa, K., Kaminogawa, S., Suzuki, K., Sercarz, E.E., Kumar, V. Vaccination with an immunodominant peptide of bovine type II collagen induces an anti-TCR response, and modulates the onset and severity of collagen-induced arthritis. Int. Immunol. 16:737-745, 2004.
  13. Melo, M.E., Stevens, D.B., Sercarz, E.E., Gabaglia, C.R. Nasal instillation of gpMBP can exacerbate murine EAE: effect of mucosal priming is an age-dependent phenomenon. J. Autoimmun. 22:13-20, 2004.
  14. Ria, F., Gallard, A., Gabaglia, C.R., Guery, J.C., Sercarz, E.E., Adorini,L. Selection of similar naive T cell repertoires but induction of distinct T cell responses by native and modified antigen. J. Immunol. 172:3447-3453, 2004.
  15. Sercarz, E.E., Maverakis, E. Recognition and function in a degenerate immune system. Mol. Immunol. 40:1003-1008, 2004.
  16. Sinha, P., Chi, H.H., Kim, H.R., Clausen, B.E., Pederson, B., Sercarz, E.E., Forster, I., Moudgil, K.D. Mouse lysozyme-M knockout mice reveal how the self-determinant hierarchy shapes the T cell repertoire against this circulating self antigen in wild-type mice. J. Immunol. 173: 1763-1771, 2004.
  17. van den Elzen, P., Menezes, J.S., Ametani, A., Maverakis, E., Madakamutil, L., Tang, X., Kumar, V., Sercarz, E.E. Limited clonality in autoimmunity: drivers and regulators. Autoimmunity Reviews 3:524-529, 2004.
  18. Braciak, T.A., Pedersen, B., Chin, J., Hsiao, C., Ward, E.S., Maricic, I., Jahng, A., Graham, F.L., Gauldie, J., Sercarz, E.E., Kumar, V. Protection against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis generated by a recombinant adenovirus vector expressing the Vβ8.2 TCR is disrupted by coadministration with vectors expressing either IL-4 or -10. J. Immunol. 170:765-774, 2003.
  19. Elewaut, D., Lawton, A.P., Nagarajan, N.A., Maverakis, E., Khurana, A., Honing, S., Benedict, C.A., Sercarz, E., Bakke, O., Kronenberg, M., Prigozy, T.I. The adaptor protein AP-3 is required for CD1d-mediated antigen presentation of glycosphingolipids and development of Valpha14i NKT cells. J. Exp. Med. 198:1133-1146, 2003.
  20. Im, J.S., Quinn, A., Sercarz, E.E., Lake, D.F. Molecular profile of the T cell receptors of regulatory and effector CD4+ T cells recognizing overlapping determinants on glutamic acid decarboxylase (524-543). Mol. Immunol. 40:971-980, 2003.
  21. Madakamutil, L.T., Maricic, I., Sercarz, E., Kumar, V. Regulatory T cells control autoimmunity in vivo by inducing apoptotic depletion of activated pathogenic lymphocytes. J. Immunol. 170:2985-2992, 2003.
  22. Maverakis, E., Beech, J., Stevens, D.B., Ametani, A., Brossay, L., van den Elzen, P., Mendoza, R., Thai, Q., Madas, L.H., Ethell, D., Campagnoni, C.W., Sette, A., Sercarz, E.E. Autoreactive T cells can be protected from tolerance induction through competition by flanking determinants for access to class II MHC. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100:5342-7, 2003.
  23. Nepom, G., Quinn, A., Sercarz, E., Wilson, D.B. How important is GAD in the etiology of spontaneous disease in human and murine type 1 diabetes? J. Autoimmun. 20:193-194, 2003.
  24. Rubin, B., de Durana, Y.D., Li, N., Sercarz, E.E. Regulator T cells: specific for antigen and/or antigen receptors? Scand. J. Immunol. 57:399-409, 2003.
  25. Sercarz, E., Maverakis, E., van den Elzen, P., Madakamutil, L., Kumar, V. Seven surprises in the TCR-centred regulation of immune responsiveness in an autoimmune system. Novartis Found. Symp. 252:165-171, 2003.
  26. Sercarz, E.E. Large antigens such as GAD-65 become involved in pathogenic self-reactivity, but fortunately only rarely. J. Autoimmun. 20:203-206, 2003.
  27. Sercarz, E.E. Arraying autoimmunity treatment. Nature Biotechnol. 21:1017-19, 2003.
  28. Sercarz, E.E., Maverakis, E. MHC-guided processing: binding of large antigen fragments. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 3:621-9, 2003.
  29. Maverakis, E., Beech, J., Deng, H., Schneider, S., Van den Elzen, P., Madakamutil, L., Ria, F., Moudgil, K., Kumar, V., Campagnoni, A., Sercarz, E.E. Determination of the expressed repertoire: the outcome of competition at all levels of antigen presentation and TCR recognition. In: Epitope recognition since Landsteiner's discovery: Springer Publications, Chapter 4, 2002.
  30. Melo, M.E.F., Gabaglia, C.R., Mougdil, K.D., Sercarz, E.E., Quinn, A. Strain-dependent effect of nasal instillation of antigen on the immune response in mice. Isr. Med. Assoc. J. 4 (Supp 11):902-907, 2002.
  31. Kumar, V., Maglione, J., Thatte, J., Pedersen, B, Sercarz, E., Ward, E.S. Induction of a type 1 regulatory CD4 T cell response following Vβ8.2 DNA vaccination results in immune deviation and protection from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Intl. Immunol. 13:835-841, 2001.
  32. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. An integrative model of regulation centered on recognition of TCR peptide/MHC complexes. Immunol. Reviews 182:113-121, 2001.
  33. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E., Zhang, J, Cohen, I. T cell vaccination: from basics to the clinic. Trends in Immunology 22:539-540, 2001.
  34. Quinn, A., Kumar, V., Jensen, K., Sercarz, E. Interactions of effectors and regulators are decisive in the manifestation of IDDM in NOD mice. Molecular pathology of Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Curr. Dir. Autoimmun. 4:171-192, 2001.
  35. Maverakis, E., Mendoza, R., Southwood, S., Gabaglia, C.R., Abromson-Leeman, S., Campagnoni, A.T., Sette, A., Sercarz, E.E. Immunogenicity of self antigens is unrelated to MHC-binding affinity: T-cell determinant structure of Golli-MBP in the BALB/c mouse. J. Autoimmun. 15:315-322, 2000.
  36. Schneider, S.C., Ohmen, J., Fosdick, L., Gladstone, B., Guo, J., Kim, B.S., Ametani, A., Sercarz, E.E., Deng, H. Cutting Edge: Introduction of an endopeptidase cleavage motif into a determinant flanking region of hen egg lysozyme results in enhanced T cell determinant display. J. Immunol. 165:20-23, 2000.
  37. Wilson, S.S., van den Elzen, P., Maverakis, E., Beech, J.T., Braciak, T.A., Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. Residual public repertoires to self. J. Neuroimmunol. 107:233-239, 2000.
  38. Gabaglia, C.R., Pedersen, B., Hitt. M., Burdin, N., Sercarz, E.E., Graham, F.L., Gauldie, J., Braciak, T.A. A single intramuscular injection with an adenovirus-expressing IL-12 protects BALB/c mice against Leishmania major infection, while treatment with an IL-4-expressing vector increases disease susceptibility in B10.D2 mice. J. Immunol. 162:753-760, 1999.
  39. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. Distinct levels of regulation in organ-specific autoimmune diseases. Life Sci. 65:1523-1530, 1999.
  40. Moudgil, K., Southwood, S., Ametani, A., Kim, K., Sette, A., Sercarz, E.E. The self-directed T cell repertoire against mouse lysozyme reflects the influence of the hierarchy of its own determinants and can be engaged by a foreign lysozyme. J. Immunol. 163:4232-4237, 1999.
  41. Borghans, J.A.M., De Boer, R.J., Sercarz, E., Kumar, V. T cell vaccination in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: a mathematical model. J. Immunol. 161:1087-1093, 1998.
  42. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. Induction or protection from autoimmune disease depends upon the cytokine secretion profile of TCR peptide specific CD4 T cells. J. Immunol. 161:6585-6591, 1998.
  43. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E., Adorini, L. Regulatory mechanisms in organ-specific autoimmunity. Immunologist. 6:161-166, 1998.
  44. Quinn, A., Gabaglia, C.R., Schneider, S.C., Braciak, T., Sercarz, E. Immune response. In: Encyclopedia of Immunology (2nd ed.)(Delves, P., Ed.), Academic Press, London, 1998.
  45. Kumar, V., Aziz, F., Sercarz, E., Miller, A. Regulatory T cells specific for the same framework 3 region of the V?8.2 chain are involved in the control of collagen II-induced arthritis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. J. Exp. Med. 185:1725-1733, 1997.
  46. Kumar, V., Coulsell, E., Hubbard, G., Ober, B., Sercarz, E., E., Ward, E.S. Recombinant single chain TCR molecules can prevent and reverse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. J. Immunol. 159:5150-5156, 1997.
  47. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. Structure of the antigenic determinant or the execution of T cell regulatory circuitry can result in immune deviation. In: Th1/Th2 regulation, Landes Inc., pp 91-103, 1997.
  48. Kumar, V., Moudgil, K.D., Singh, R.R., Sercarz, E.E. Protected repertoires, the cryptic self and autoimmunity. In: New Trends in Immunological diseases. Acad. Press, p49-59, 1996.
  49. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. Dysregulation of potentially pathogenic self-reactivity is crucial for the manifestation of clinical autoimmunity. J. Neurosci. Res. 45:334-339, 1996.
  50. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. Genetic vaccination: the advantages of going naked. Nature Med. 2:11-12, 1996
  51. Kumar, V., Stellrecht, K., Sercarz, E. Inactivation of TCR peptide-specific regulatory CD4 T cells leads to chronic EAE. J. Exp. Med. 184:1609-1617, 1996.
  52. Moudgil, K.D., Deng, H.-K., Nanda, N.K., Grewal, I.S., Ametani, A., Sercarz, E.E. Antigen processing and T cell repertories as crucial aleatory features in induction of autoimmunity. J. Autoimmunity 9:227-234, 1996.
  53. Sercarz, E., Deng, H., Grewal, I., Kumar, V., Moudgil K. T cell repertoire directed against dominant and cryptic self-determinants. In: Transplantation tolerance induction, Landes Co. p111-117, 1996.
  54. Kumar, V., Bhardwaj, V., Soares, L., Alexander, J., Sette, A., Sercarz, E. MHC-ligand affinity of an antigenic determinant is crucial for differential secretion of IFN-? or IL-4 by T cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 92:9510-9514, 1995.
  55. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. Natural priming of functional TCR-peptide-specific T cells indicates that TCR determinants are involved in the regulation of autoimmune disease. In: T cell vaccination and autoimmune disease, Eds., J. Zhang and J. Raus, R.G. Landes Company, Austin, pp 21-35, 1995.
  56. Kumar, V., Tabibiazar, R., Geysen, M., Sercarz, E. Immunodominant framework region 3 peptide from TCR V?8.2 chain controls murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. J. Immunol. 154:1941-1950, 1995.
  57. Singh, R.R., Kumar, V., Ebling, F., Southwood, S., Sette, A., Sercarz, E., Hahn, B.H. T cell determinants from autoantibodies to DNA can upregulate autoimmunity in murine lupus. J. Exp. Med. 181:2017-2027, 1995.
  58. Soares, L., Deng, H., Grewal, I.S., Kumar, V., Miller, A., Moudgil, K., Palmer, M., Sercarz, E. Determinant flanking regions and the design of appropriate vaccines. Annals NY Acad. Sci. 754:48-56, 1995.
  59. Bhardwaj, V., Kumar, V., Grewal, I., Dao, T., Lehmann, P. Geysen, M., Sercarz, E. The T cell determinant structure of myelin basic protein in B10.PL, SJL, and their F1s. J. Immunol. 152:3711-3719, 1994.
  60. Kumar, V., Bhardwaj, V., Sercarz, E. T cell recognition of defined peptides and autoimmune response. In: Handbook of T and B cells. Ed. C.C. Snow, Academic Press, pp 269-287, 1994.
  61. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. Holes in the T cell repertoire to MBP owing to the absence of the D?2-J?2 gene cluster: Implications for TCR recognition and autoimmunity. J. Exp. Med. 179:1637-1643, 1994.
  62. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. Maintenance and re-establishment of self-tolerance: TCR-peptide-specific regulatory T cells. In: Autoimmunity: Experimental aspects. Ed. M. Zouali, Springer-Verlag. Berlin, pp 29-38, 1994.
  63. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. Self-determinant selection and selective regulation. Chem. Immunol. 60:1-19, 1994.
  64. Ametani, A., Sercarz, E.E. The nature of B and T cell determinants. In: Immunology series, volume 59, monoclonal antibody and peptide therapy in autoimmune diseases (J.-F. Bach, ed.) Marcel Dekker, New York, 59:13-28, 1993.
  65. Bhardwaj, V., Kumar, V., Geysen H.M., Sercarz, E. Degenerate recognition of a dissimilar antigenic peptide by MBP-reactive T cells: Implications for thymic education and autoimmunity. J. Immunol. 151:5000-5011, 1993.
  66. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. The involvement of TCR-peptide-specific regulatory CD4+ T cells in recovery from antigen-induced autoimmune disease. J. Exp. Med. 178:909-916, 1993.
  67. Moudgil, K.D., Ametani, A., Grewal, I.S., Kumar, V., Sercarz, E.E. Processing of self-proteins and its impact on shaping the T cell repertoire, autoimmunity and immune regulation. Int. Rev. Immunol. 10:365-377, 1993.
  68. Sercarz, E.E., Lehmann, P.V., Ametani, A., Benichou, G., Miller, A., Moudgil, K. Dominance and crypticity of T cell antigenic determinants. Ann. Rev. Immunol. 11:729-766, 1993.
  69. Bhardwaj, V., Kumar, V., Geysen, H.M., Sercarz, E. Subjugation of dominant immunogenic determinants within a chimeric peptide. Eur. J. Immunol. 22:2009-2016, 1992.
  70. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. T cell regulatory circuitry: Antigen-specific and TCR-idiopeptide specific T cell interactions in EAE. Intl. Rev. Immunol. 9: 269-279, 1992.
  71. Bhardwaj, V., Kumar, V., Lehmann, P.V., Sercarz, E. Mimicry and dominance in the T cell response to self proteins. In: Lymphatic Tissues and In Vivo Immune Responses. Eds., Ezine, S., S Berrih-Aknin and B. Imhof, Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, 1991.
  72. Gammon, G., Geysen, M., Apple, R., Pickett, E., Palmer, M., Ametani, A., Sercarz, E. T cell determinant structure: cores and determinant envelopes in three mouse MHC haplotypes. J. Exp. Med. 173:609-617, 1991.
  73. Kumar, V., Sercarz, E. Regulation of autoimmune disease. Current Opinion in Immunology 3:888-895, 1991.
  74. Sercarz, E., Ametani, A., Apple, R., Cogswell, J., Gammon, G., Miller, A. How successful a T cell determinant will be depends on aleatory features of its molecular context. In: Immunogenicity: Proceedings of a UCLA Symposia Held at Steamboat Springs, Colorado, January 21-28, 1989 (C. A. Janeway, Jr., J. Sprent and E. Sercarz, eds.) Wiley-Liss, New York, pp. 37-45, 1990.
  75. Ametani, A., Apple, R., Bhardwaj, V., Gammon, G., Miller, A., Sercarz, E. Examining the crypticity of antigenic determinants. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. 54: 505-511. 1989.
  76. Urban, J., Kumar, V., Kono, D., Gomez, C., Horvath, S.J., Clayton, J., Ando, D., Sercarz, E., Hood, L. Restricted use of TCR V genes in murine autoimmune encephalomyelitis raises possibilities for antibody therapy. Cell 54:577-592, 1988.
  77. Miller, A., Ch'ng, L.K., Benjamin, C., Sercarz, E., Brodeur, P., Riblet, R. Detailed analysis of the public idiotype of anti-hen egg-white lysozyme antibodies. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 418:140-150, 1983.
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