Abraham, Soman

Research Interests:

Host-pathogen crosstalk, Role of Mast cell in modulating innate and adaptive immune responses, Vaccine development against emerging infectious agents, Urinary tract infections and the development of novel strategies to combat these infections.

Selected Publications:

McLachlan JB, Shelburne CP, Hart JP, Pizzo SV, Goyal R, Brooking R, Staats HF and Abraham SN Mast cell activators: a new class of highly effective vaccine adjuvants. Nature Med. 5:536-41. Epub 2008 Apr 20. This paper was the subject of review and discussion by Drs Pulandran and Ono in the News and Views section of the same issue of Nat Med.

Song J, Bishop BL, Li G, Duncan,M, and Abraham SN. TLR4 initiated and cAMP mediated abrogation of bacterial invasion of the bladder. Cell Host & Microbe 2007 1: 287-298 (Designated as Featured article).

Bishop BL, Duncan MJ, Song J, Li G, Zaas DW, Abraham SN. Cyclic AMP regulated exocytosis of E.coli from Infected Bladder Cells. Nat Med 2007 13 (5):625-30 Apr 8; [Epub ahead of print] This paper was the subject of review and discussion by Dr.Matthew Mulvey in the News and Views section of the same issue of Nat Med.

Song,J, Duncan,M, Li,G, Chen,C, Grady,R, Stapleton, A, and Abraham, SN. A Novel TLR4 Mediated Signaling Pathway Leading to IL-6 Responses in Human Bladder Epithelial Cells. PLoS Pathog 2007 Apr3(4):e60 (Cover of the year)

McLachlan JB, Hart JP, Pizzo SV, Shelburne CP, Staats HF, Gunn MD and Abraham SN. Mast cell-derived tumor necrosis factor induces hypertrophy of draining lymph nodes during infection.. Nat Immunol. 2003 12:1199-205. This paper was the subject of review and discussion by Drs. S. Galli and Nakae S in the News and Views section of the same issue of Nat Immunol.

Shin J-S, Gao Z, Abraham SN. Involvement of cellular caveolae in bacterial entry into mast cells. Science 2000;289(5480):785-8.This paper was the subject of review and discussion by Drs. M. Mulvey and S. Hultgren in the Perspectives section of the same issue of Science.

Malaviya R, Gao A, Thankavel K, van der Merwe A, Abraham SN. The mast cell TNFresponse to FimH-expressing E. coli is mediated by the glycolphosphatidylinositol-anchored molecule, CD48. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1999; 96: 8110-8115.

Baorto D, Gao Z, Malaviya R, Dustin ML, van der Merwe A, Lublin D, Abraham SN. Survival of FimH expressing Escherichia coli in phagocytic cells after coopting glycolipid trafficking pathways. Nature (London) 1997; 389:636-639. (This paper was the subject of review and discussion in Annal Intern Med 1998; 128:333-336.

Malaviya R, Ikeda T, Ross E, Abraham SN. Mast cells modulate neutrophil influx and bacterial clearance at sites of infection through TNF alpha. Nature (London) 1996; 381: 77-80. (This paper was subject of a special review and discussion of Drs. S. Galli and B. Wershil in Nature (London) 381: 21-22, 1996 and by Dr. R. Doyle in Chemtracts-Biochem & Mol Biol 6: 228-231, 1996 and by Drs. Erb, Hollaway and Le Gros in Curr Biol 6: 941-942, 1996).

Thankavel K, Madison B, Ikeda T, Malaviya R, Abraham SN. Protection against experimental urinary tract infection by antibodies directed at the adhesive domain on the FimH adhesion of Escherichia coli type 1 fimbriae. J Clin Invest 1997; 100:1123-1136.