As part of our larger interest in eosinophils and their interactions with respiratory virus pathogens, we have developed a novel culture system which has permitted us to generate large numbers of eosinophils at high purity (>90%) from unselected mouse bone marrow progenitors. In response to four days of culture with recombinant mouse (rm)FLT3-L and rmSCF followed by rmIL-5 alone thereafter, the resulting bone-marrow derived eosinophils (bmEos) express immunoreactive major basic protein, Siglec F, IL-5 receptor alpha chain, and transcripts encoding mouse eosinophil peroxidase, CC chemokine receptor 3, the IL-3/IL-5/GM-CSF receptor common beta-chain (βc), and the transcription factor GATA-1. BmEos are functionally competent: they undergo chemotaxis toward mouse eotaxin-1 and produce characteristic cytokines, including interferon-γ, IL-4, MIP-1α and IL-6. Using this novel system, we found that the natural rodent pathogen, pneumonia virus of mice (PVM) replicates in bmEos, and elevated levels of IL-6 are detected in supernatants of bmEos cultures in response to active infection. Finally, differentiating bmEos are readily transfected with lentiviral vectors, suggesting a means for rapid production of genetically manipulated cells (Dyer et al., J Immunol. in press). ? ? I also contributed to three significant reviews. The first was a large, comprehensive review of eosinophil biology entitled """"""""Eosinophils: biological properties and role in health and disease"""""""" (Clin Exp Allergy, 2008; 38: 709 - 750). I also co-authored a review on the targeting eosinophils for future anti-asthma therapeutics (Current Molecular Medicine, 2008, in press) and an invited review featuring our work on interactions of eosinophils with respiratory virus pathogens (Immunologic Research, 2008, in press). ? ? Finally, my expertise in eosinophil biology and inflammation has provided me with the opportunity to participate as a member of the Editorial Boards of Blood (since 2003), Journal of Leukocyte Biology (since 1996; promoted to Associate Editor, 2006), Clinical and Vaccine Immunology (since 2003) and Faculty of 1000 Biology (since 2006).
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