Eddie James, PhD
Title:
Tetramer Core Manager
Email Address:
Phone Number:
206-625-7373 ext 68176
Background
Dr. James received his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado. He subsequently attended Washington State University, receiving his PhD in Biochemical Engineering in 2001. After completing an internship at Zymogenetics, he joined the Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason as manager of the tetramer core.
Areas of Research
The focus of the Tetramer Core Laboratory is to produce and develop MHC class II tetramer reagents to facilitate the study of T cells both within and outside BRI. T cells are difficult to detect and isolate using traditional methods, but can be labeled and detected directly using tetramers. Therefore, tetramers provide an effective and exciting approach for studying T cell responses. Because tetramers have only limited commercial availability, we produce these proteins “in house” using insect cell cultures and distribute them on a zero profit basis. We are continually expanding our repertoire of tetramers, applying them to study new diseases and larger segments of the population.
Dr. James is also involved in several collaborative research projects, applying tetramers to identify the chemical patters recognized by T cells in desirable protective immune responses directed against viruses (such as tetanus and HPV) and in undesirable destructive immune responses directed against self or therapeutic proteins (including GAD, insulin, and Factor VIII). Understanding the basics of immune recognition and the specifics of both immune protection and immune destruction will lead to better diagnostic tools and better therapies.
Selected Publications
James EA, Moustakas AK, Berger D, Huston L, Papadopoulos GK, Kwok WW. “Definition of the peptide binding motif within DRB1*1401 restricted epitopes by peptide competition and structural modeling.” Mol Immunol. 2008 [Epub ahead of print]
Roti M, Yang J, Berger D, Huston L, James EA, Kwok WW. “Healthy human subjects have CD4+ T cells directed against H5N1 influenza virus.” J Immunol. 2008 180:1758-68.
James EA, Kwok WW, Ettinger RA, Thompson AR, Pratt KP. “T-cell responses over time in a mild hemophilia A inhibitor subject: epitope identification and transient immunogenicity of the corresponding self-peptide.” J Thromb Haemost. 2007 5:2399-407.
James EA, Bui J, Berger D, Huston L, Roti M, Kwok WW. “Tetramer-guided epitope mapping reveals broad, individualized repertoires of tetanus toxin-specific CD4+ T cells and suggests HLA-based differences in epitope recognition.” Int Immunol. 2007 19:1291-301.
Laughlin EM, Miller JD, James E, Fillos D, Ibegbu CC, Mittler RS, Akondy R, Kwok W, Ahmed R, Nepom G. “Antigen-specific CD4+ T cells recognize epitopes of protective antigen following vaccination with an anthrax vaccine.” Infect Immun. 2007 75:1852-60.
James EA, Kwok WW. “CD8+ suppressor-mediated regulation of human CD4+ T cell responses to glutamic acid decarboxylase 65.” Eur J Immunol. 2007 37:78-86.
Yang J, James EA, Huston L, Danke NA, Liu AW, Kwok WW. “Multiplex mapping of CD4 T cell epitopes using class II tetramers.” Clin Immunol. 2006 120:21-32.
Yang J, Danke NA, Berger D, Reichstetter S, Reijonen H, Greenbaum C, Pihoker C, James EA, Kwok WW. “Islet-specific glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit-related protein-reactive CD4+ T cells in human subjects.” J Immunol. 2006 176:2781-9.
James E.A. and Kwok W.W. “The Study of Human CD4+ T-cells Using Class II Tetramers” Inmunologia, 23, 339-347 2004