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Larry S. Schlesinger MD

Larry S. Schlesinger MD
ProfessorCollege of Medicinelarry.schlesinger@osumc.edu
1004 Biomedical Research Tower 460 W. 12th Ave Columbus OH 43210
Phone:614-293-5666Fax:
  • Innate Immunity

Research Description

Dr. Schlesinger’s research focuses on innate immunity in mycobacterial and Francisella infections by studying human mononuclear phagocyte interactions with pathogenic mycobacteria, particularly M. tuberculosis and F. tularensis.  The laboratory uses a variety of approaches (cell biology, immunology, molecular biology and biochemistry) to study the role of microbial surface glycoconjugates in complement activation and in binding to phagocyte receptors.  It also focuses on the mechanism of phagocytosis of microbes by macrophages, the intracellular signaling and trafficking pathway of microbial products and the ability of intracellular pathogens to regulate the biosynthesis and expression of macrophage class II molecules, accessory molecules for antigen presentation and molecules involved in cellular adhesion.  The laboratory uses novel in-vitro models that include surfactant components to study innate immune responses to these pathogens in the air spaces of the lung.  Newly characterized clinical isolates of bacteria and mutant strains of bacteria are used. New scientific platforms include glycomics and lipidomics with the goal to identify novel therapeutic targets against infectious agents.

Transinstitutional Work

Dr. Schlesinger is director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and founding director of the OSU Center for Microbial Interface Biology (CMIB), a Board of Trustees’ approved campus wide research and education Center, focused on infectious diseases, microbial pathogenesis and biodefense. There are 11 core faculty members in the CMIB with a total of 70 members from six colleges that are performing interdisciplinary, cutting edge research using a variety of scientific platforms. Dr. Schlesinger is also chair of the steering committee for the Provost-initiated Targeted Investment in Excellence (TIE) program called “Public Health Preparedness for Infectious Diseases” that includes 125 faculty for the Colleges of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Public Health, Pharmacy, Biological, Math and Physical sciences and Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Dr. Schlesinger’s research programs include a variety of partners such as those in the CCC, Heart & Lung Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s hospital and Research Institute, the OARDC, Columbus Public Health and Battelle.  

Current Publications

  • Young NA, Friedman AK, Kaffenberger B, Rajaram MV, Birmingham DJ, Rovin BH, Hebert LA, Schlesinger LS, Wu LC, Jarjour WNNovel estrogen target gene ZAS3 is overexpressed in systemic lupus erythematosus.Mol Immunol 54(1) 23-31 5/1/2013
  • Julian MW, Shao G, Schlesinger LS, Huang Q, Cosmar DG, Bhatt NY, Culver DA, Baughman RP, Wood KL, Crouser EDNicotine treatment improves Toll-like receptor 2 and Toll-like receptor 9 responsiveness in active pulmonary sarcoidosis.Chest 143(2) 461-70 2/1/2013
  • Guirado E, Schlesinger LSModeling the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Granuloma - the Critical Battlefield in Host Immunity and Disease.Front Immunol 4 98 1/1/2013
  • Azad AK, Sadee W, Schlesinger LSInnate immune gene polymorphisms in tuberculosis.Infect Immun 80(10) 3343-59 10/1/2012
  • Nguyen HA, Rajaram MV, Meyer DA, Schlesinger LSPulmonary surfactant protein A and surfactant lipids upregulate IRAK-M, a negative regulator of TLR-mediated inflammation in human macrophages.Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 303(7) L608-16 10/1/2012
  • Akhter A, Caution K, Abu Khweek A, Tazi M, Abdulrahman BA, Abdelaziz DH, Voss OH, Doseff AI, Hassan H, Azad AK, Schlesinger LS, Wewers MD, Gavrilin MA, Amer AOCaspase-11 promotes the fusion of phagosomes harboring pathogenic bacteria with lysosomes by modulating actin polymerization.Immunity 37(1) 35-47 7/27/2012
  • Dai S, Mohapatra NP, Schlesinger LS, Gunn JSThe acid phosphatase AcpA is secreted in vitro and in macrophages by Francisella spp.Infect Immun 80(3) 1088-97 3/1/2012
  • Mishra M, Byrd MS, Sergeant S, Azad AK, Parsek MR, McPhail L, Schlesinger LS, Wozniak DJPseudomonas aeruginosa Psl polysaccharide reduces neutrophil phagocytosis and the oxidative response by limiting complement-mediated opsonization.Cell Microbiol 14(1) 95-106 1/1/2012
  • Cremer TJ, Fatehchand K, Shah P, Gillette D, Patel H, Marsh RL, Besecker BY, Rajaram MV, Cormet-Boyaka E, Kanneganti TD, Schlesinger LS, Butchar JP, Tridandapani SMiR-155 induction by microbes/microbial ligands requires NF-κB-dependent de novo protein synthesis.Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2 73 1/1/2012
  • Abdulrahman BA, Khweek AA, Akhter A, Caution K, Kotrange S, Abdelaziz DH, Newland C, Rosales-Reyes R, Kopp B, McCoy K, Montione R, Schlesinger LS, Gavrilin MA, Wewers MD, Valvano MA, Amer AOAutophagy stimulation by rapamycin suppresses lung inflammation and infection by Burkholderia cenocepacia in a model of cystic fibrosis.Autophagy 7(11) 1359-70 11/1/2011
  • Keiser TL, Azad AK, Guirado E, Bonacci R, Schlesinger LSComparative transcriptional study of the putative mannose donor biosynthesis genes in virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis and attenuated Mycobacterium bovis BCG strains.Infect Immun 79(11) 4668-73 11/1/2011
  • Rajaram MV, Ni B, Morris JD, Brooks MN, Carlson TK, Bakthavachalu B, Schoenberg DR, Torrelles JB, Schlesinger LSMycobacterium tuberculosis lipomannan blocks TNF biosynthesis by regulating macrophage MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2) and microRNA miR-125b.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 108(42) 17408-13 10/18/2011
  • Torrelles JB, Sieling PA, Arcos J, Knaup R, Bartling C, Rajaram MV, Stenger S, Modlin RL, Schlesinger LSStructural differences in lipomannans from pathogenic and nonpathogenic mycobacteria that impact CD1b-restricted T cell responses.J Biol Chem 286(41) 35438-46 10/14/2011
  • Betz BE, Azad AK, Morris JD, Rajaram MV, Schlesinger LSβ-Glucans inhibit intracellular growth of Mycobacterium bovis BCG but not virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis in human macrophages.Microb Pathog 51(4) 233-42 10/1/2011
  • Sow FB, Nandakumar S, Velu V, Kellar KL, Schlesinger LS, Amara RR, Lafuse WP, Shinnick TM, Sable SBMycobacterium tuberculosis components stimulate production of the antimicrobial peptide hepcidin.Tuberculosis (Edinb) 91(4) 314-21 7/1/2011
  • Arcos J, Sasindran SJ, Fujiwara N, Turner J, Schlesinger LS, Torrelles JBHuman lung hydrolases delineate Mycobacterium tuberculosis-macrophage interactions and the capacity to control infection.J Immunol 187(1) 372-81 7/1/2011