Professor

Lewis Hall, #3168
Office: (757) 446-5661
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Teaching: Immunology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology

Biomedical Sciences Program Tracks: Molecular Integrative Biosciences (MIB); Molecular and Cellular Biology

Education

• B.S., Boston University
• M.S., American University
• Ph.D., Tufts University School of Medicine
• Postdoctoral Training, University of Texan Southwestern Medical School

Research Interests

Dr. Ciavarra and his team are currently focused on analysis of the cellular interactions essential for responses against infectious agents (viruses) or tumor cells. With respect to host resistance to viral pathogens, current studies focus on how innate and adaptive antiviral immune responses are regulated in the central nervous system (CNS).

The brain and spinal cord represent special challenges for the immune system to achieve viral clearance without destroying sensitive and irreplaceable nerve cells. Within this focus, his laboratory is investigating how CNS resident cells such as microglia (brain macrophages) and astrocytes contribute to anti-viral immunity and how these cells interact with other blood cells that infiltrate the brain during viral encephalitis to achieve viral clearance from this organ.

A second area of interest in this laboratory is the production of novel cellular vaccines for the treatment of prostate cancer. Tumor cells have been modified to contain specific genes that should boost the anti-tumor immune response. These genes are activated within the tumor microenvironment at distinct times during tumor progression and the development of metastatic disease. His laboratory has developed several animal models to assess the efficacy of these novel cellular vaccines.

Selected Publications

• Peripheral dendritic cells are essential for both the innate and adaptive antiviral immune response in the CNS. Christina Steel, Suzanne Hahto and Richard P. Ciavarra. Submitted Virology, 2009.
• Regulated expression of CCL21 in the prostate tumor microenvironment inhibits tumor growth and metastases in an orthotopic tumor model. Nazita Yousefieh and Richard P. Ciavarra, Submitted Cancer Microenvironment, 2009.
• Role of Peroxynitrite in the Establishment of an Immunosuppressive Prostate Tumor Microenvironment. Nazita Yousefieh, Cara Jones, Suzanne Hahto and Richard P. Ciavarra. Submitted Experimental Cell Research, 2009.
• An evaluation of an immunolgocail paradigm: Are dendritic cells critical for antiviral immunity and viral clearance? R.P. Ciavarra, A. Stephens, S. Nagy, M. Sekellick, C. Steel, J. Immunol. 177: 492-500, 2006.
• Impact of macrophage and dendritic cell subset elimination on antiviral immunity, viral clearance and production of type 1 interferon. R. P. Ciavarra, A. R. Greene, N. Yousefieh, D. R. Horeth, N. van Rooijen, C. Steel, B. Gregory, M. Birkenbach, M. Sekellick. Virology, 342 (2) 177-189, 2005.
• Prostate tumor microenvironment alters immune cells and prevents long-term survival in an orthotopic mouse model following flt3-ligand/CD40-ligand immunotherapy. R.P. Ciavarra, D. Holterman, P. Mangiotti, N. Yousefieh, P. F. Schellhammer, G. L. Wright, K. D. Somers. J. Immunother, 27: 13-26, 2004.
• R. P. Ciavarra, D. Holterman, M. Garrett, R. R. Brown, W. F. Glass, P. F. Schellhammer, G. L. Wright, K. D. Somers. Impact of the prostate tumor microenvironment on host infiltrating cells and the efficacy of flt3-ligand combination immunotherapy evaluated in a treatment model of prostate tumors. Cancer Immunol. Immunotherapy, 52: 535-545, 2003.
• Somers K. D, R. Brown, N. Yousefieh, D. Holterman, P. Mangiotti, W. F. Glass, P. F. Schellhammer, G. L. Wright, R. P. Ciavarra. Orthotopic treatment model for prostate cancer and metastasis in the immunocompetent mouse: efficacy of flt3-ligand immunotherapy. In press, International J. Cancer, 2003.
• R. P. Ciavarra, Greene AR, Horeth DR, Buhrer K, Van Rooijen N , Tedeschi B. (2000) Antigen processing of vesicular stomatitis virus in situ. Interdigitating dendritic cells present viral antigens independent of marginal dendritic cells but fail to prime CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Immunology. 101(4): 512-20.
• Ciavarra, R.P., Kathy Buhrer, Nico Van Rooijen & Bruce Tedeschi (1997) T Cell Priming Against Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Analyzed In Situ. Red Pulp Macrophages but not Marginal Metallophilic or Marginal Zone Macrophages are Required for Priming CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells., J. Immunol., 158:1749-1755.
• Bruce Tedeschi and Richard P. Ciavarra (1997) Differential effects of axotomy on the in vivo synthesis of the stress-inducible and constituitive 70kDa heat shock proteins in rat dorsal root ganglia. Mol. Brain Res. 45:199-206.
• Ciavarra, R.P., Charles Goldman, Kuo-Kuang Wen, Bruce Tedeschi, and Frank Castora. (1994) Heat Stress Induces HSC70/nuclear Topoisomerase I Complex Formation In Vivo: Evidence for HSC70-Mediated, ATP-independent Reactivation In Vitro. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA, 91:1751-1755.
• Ciavarra, R.P., and Bruce Tedeschi (1994) Role of CD4+ T Cells During Anti-Anti-Viral Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Response. I. Requirement for CD4+ Cells for Priming is Dependent on the Antigen Presenting Cell In Vivo. Richard P. Ciavarra and Bruce Tedeschi. Cell. Immunol. 157:132-143.
• Ciavarra, R.P., Duvall, W., and Castora, F.J. (1992) Induction of thermotolerance in T Cells protects nuclear DNA topoisomerase I from heat stress. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 186:166-172.
• Ciavarra, R.P., and Simeone, A. (1990) T lymphocyte stress response. II. protection of translation and DNA synthesis against some forms of stress by prior hyperthermic stress. Cell Immunology. 131:11-26.
• Ciavarra, R.P., Vitetta, E., Forman, J. (1986) Growth inhibition of a B cell leukemia: evidence implicating an anti-idiotype immune response for protective tumor immunity. Journal of Immunology. 137:1271-1375.

Return to the Department's Main Page