Student Directory

Hometown: McLean, VA

Undergraduate Education:  BA/BS/05 Biology; Chemistry (specialization in Biochemistry)/U of Virginia

Research Interest:  Regulation of Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin Expression in Sebocytes

Advisor: Diane Thiboutot, MD
Graduate Program: Physiology

Thesis: Immunomodulatory Effects of Isotretinoin in Vivo

Description:  Acne is a common affliction that affects nearly 100 percent of people at some point in their lives. It is commonly described as having four pathogenic factors: 1) excess sebum production, 2) inflammation, 3) hyperkeratinization of the follicle, and 4) skin colonization with P. acnes. To date, the most effective therapy available for the treatment of acne is isotretinoin, or 13-cis retinoic acid (13-cis RA). 13-cis RA is the only therapy available that modifies all four components of acne pathogenesis and induces a long-term clinical remission. However, its mechanism of action is unknown, and its severe teratogenicity encourages the need to develop alternative therapies.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is an antimicrobial peptide that has clinical use as a marker for acute renal injury. Our studies have shown that NGAL mediates 13-cis RA-induced apoptosis of the sebaceous gland, and that treatment of sebocytes with recombinant NGAL alone induces apoptosis. However, the regulatory mechanisms of NGAL expression in sebocytes are unknown. The goal of this project is to find alternative ways to induce NGAL expression in sebocytes that do not involve the administration of retinoids or other compounds that interact with retinoic acid receptors. Findings from this project may contribute to the development of effective alternative therapies for acne that have fewer side effects than 13-cis RA.

Meeting Presentations

• 2009
  Penn State College of Medicine Graduate Research Forum, Hershey, PA
• 2010
  Penn State College of Medicine Graduate Research Forum, Hershey, PA
  Montagna Symposium on the Biology of the Skin, Salishan, OR (poster & travel award winner)
• 2011
  Penn State College of Medicine Graduate Research Forum, Hershey, PA
  Annual Meeting of The American Association of Immunologists, San Francisco, CA
  Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AR
• 2012
  AAAAI Conference, Orlando, FL (oral)
  APSA Conference, Chicago, IL

Sheasley-O'Neill SL, Brinkman CC, Ferguson AR, Dispenza MC, Engelhard VH  (2007) Dendritic cell immunization route determines integrin expression and lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissue distribution of CD8 T cells J Immunol 178(3):1512-22 PMID: 17237400