Description of Research Expertise

Dr. Weissman's laboratory focuses on the study of RNA and innate immune system biology and the application of these findings to vaccine research and gene therapy. There are three main projects in his laboratory. The first project began through the use of mRNA encoding antigen as a delivery system to load dendritic cells to promote broad immune responses as part of a vaccine. This project has expanded to include basic studies of RNA immunogenicity and translation and the development of applications for gene therapy. The second project develops new HIV envelope immunogens that can induce broad responses and cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies. The third project continues previous studies that identified a protein found on DC, macrophages, and epithelial cells that binds HIV envelope with high affinity. The main focus of this project is testing whether this and related molecules function in vivo to promote HIV genital tract infection.

Selected Publications

Prompetchara E, Ketloy C, Alameh MG, Tharakhet K, Kaewpang P, Yostrerat N, Pitakpolrat P, Buranapraditkun S, Manopwisedjaroen S, Thitithanyanont A, Jongkaewwattana A, Hunsawong T, Im-Erbsin R, Reed M, Wijagkanalan W, Patarakul K, Techawiwattanaboon T, Palaga T, Lam K, Heyes J, Weissman D, Ruxrungtham K.: Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine encoding secreted non-stabilized spike in female mice Nat Commun 14 : 2309,2023.

Rizvi F, Lee YR, Diaz-Aragon R, So J, Florentino RM, Smith AR, Everton E, Ostrowska A, Jung K, Tam Y, Muramatsu H, Pardi N, Weissman D, Soto-Gutierrez A, Shin D, Gouon-Evans V.: VEGFA mRNA-LNP promotes biliary epithelial cell-to-hepatocyte conversion in acute and chronic liver diseases and reverses steatosis and fibrosis bioRxiv : 2023.

Furey C, Ye N, Kercher L, DeBeauchamp J, Crumpton JC, Jeevan T, Patton C, Franks J, Alameh MG, Fan SHY, Phan AT, Hunter CA, Webby RJ, Weissman D, Hensley SE.: Development of a nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine against clade 2.3.4.4b H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus bioRxiv : 2023.

Patra T, Meyer K, Haga Y, Reagan EK, Weissman D, Ray R.: Hepatitis C virus E1 and modified E2 delivered from an mRNA vaccine induces protective immunity NPJ Vaccines 8 : 42,2023.

Riera-Domingo C, Leite-Gomes E, Charatsidou I, Zhao P, Carrá G, Cappellesso F, Mourao L, De Schepper M, Liu D, Serneels J, Alameh MG, Shuvaev VV, Geukens T, Isnaldi E, Prenen H, Weissman D, Muzykantov VR, Soenen S, Desmedt C, Scheele CLGJ, Sablina A, Di Matteo M, Martín-Pérez R, Mazzone M.: Breast tumors interfere with endothelial TRAIL at the premetastatic niche to promote cancer cell seeding Sci Adv 9 : eadd5028,2023.

Swingle KL, Safford HC, Geisler HC, Hamilton AG, Thatte AS, Billingsley MM, Joseph RA, Mrksich K, Padilla MS, Ghalsasi AA, Alameh MG, Weissman D, Mitchell MJ.: Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticles for In Vivo mRNA Delivery to the Placenta during Pregnancy J Am Chem Soc 145 : 4691-4706,2023.

Johnson AMF, Hager K, Alameh MG, Van P, Potchen N, Mayer-Blackwell K, Fiore-Gartland A, Minot S, Lin PJC, Tam YK, Weissman D, Kublin JG.: The Regulation of Nucleic Acid Vaccine Responses by the Microbiome bioRxiv : 2023.

Johnson AMF, Hager K, Alameh MG, Van P, Potchen N, Mayer-Blackwell K, Fiore-Gartland A, Minot S, Lin PJC, Tam YK, Weissman D, Kublin JG.: The Regulation of Nucleic Acid Vaccine Responses by the Microbiome bioRxiv. 19 : 529093,2023.

Han X, Gong N, Xue L, Billingsley MM, El-Mayta R, Shepherd SJ, Alameh MG, Weissman D, Mitchell MJ.: Ligand-tethered lipid nanoparticles for targeted RNA delivery to treat liver fibrosis Nat Commun 14 : 75,2023.

Melamed JR, Yerneni SS, Arral ML, LoPresti ST, Chaudhary N, Sehrawat A, Muramatsu H, Alameh MG, Pardi N, Weissman D, Gittes GK, Whitehead KA.: Ionizable lipid nanoparticles deliver mRNA to pancreatic β cells via macrophage-mediated gene transfer Sci Adv 9 : eade1444,2023.

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Academic Contact Information

410B Hill Pavilion
380 S University Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-573-8491