Turner, Joanne

Joanne Turner, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine with a joint appointment in the Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics.

Dr Turner’s research focuses on the changes that take place in the immune system during the natural aging process and the influence that this has on the capacity of the host to control infectious diseases. During old age many facets of the immune response decline, in particular within the CD4 T cell compartment however, it is also likely that alternative immune mechanisms have arisen that can compensate for these changes. Characterization of how these alternative immune responses participate during infection may aid in the development of vaccines specifically designed for an aging immune system. The laboratory has identified a relationship between increased control of M. tuberculosis infection and the presence of CD8 T cells and IFN-g in the lungs of old mice. Our current model predicts that macrophages within the aging lungs of old mice can produce increased amounts of IL-12 in response to infection with M. tuberculosis which in turn activate CD8 T cells to secrete IFN-g. Such enhanced immunological mechanisms can form the basis for the design of improved vaccines or post-exposure therapies for the elderly.

A second area of active research is with the identification of immune responses that correlate with an individuals susceptibility to reactivate a previously latent infection with M. tuberculosis. The laboratory currently uses several different mouse strains with differing susceptibilities to M. tuberculosis to identify immunological correlates of disease progression. Current research using the mouse model has identified several cytokines, such as increased interleukin-10, and cellular mechanisms that appear to be associated with reactivation disease.

Selected Publications
DK Flaherty, B Vesosky, GL Beamer, P Stromberg, and J Turner. 2006. Exposure to Mycobacterium avium can modulate established immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection generated by Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccination. J. Leuk. Biol. 80: 1262-1271.

B. Vesosky, DK. Flaherty, EK Rottinghaus, GL Beamer, J Turner. 2006. Age dependent increase in early resistance of mice to Mycobacterium tuberculosis is associated with an increase in CD8 T cells that are capable of antigen independent IFN-g production. Exp Gerontol. 41: 1185-1194.

B. Vesosky, D. K. Flaherty, and J. Turner. 2006. Th1 cytokines facilitate CD8 T cell mediated early resistance to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in old mice. Infect Immun. 74(6): 3314-3324. 

B. Vesosky, and J. Turner. 2005. The influence of age on immunity to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Immunological Reviews. 205: 229-243.

J. Turner and I. M. Orme. 2002. Transient early resistance to pulmonary tuberculosis in aged mice is associated with IFN-g secreting CD8 T lymphocytes. Infect Immun. 70 (8): 4628-4637.

G. L. Beamer, and J. Turner. 2005. Murine models of susceptibility to tuberculosis. Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis. 53(6): 469-483.

J.Turner, M. Gonzalez-Juarrero, B. M. Saunders, J. V. Brooks, P. Marietta, D. L. Ellis, A. A. Frank, A. M. Cooper, and I. M. Orme. 2001. Immunological basis for reactivation tuberculosis in mice. Infect Immun. 69 (5): 3264-3270.

J. Turner, M. Gonzalez-Juarrero, D. L. Ellis, R. J. Basaraba, A. Kipnis, I. M. Orme, A. M. Cooper. 2002. In vivo IL-10 production reactivates chronic pulmonary tuberculosis in C57BL/6 mice. J Immunol. 169 (11): 6343-6351.

Laboratory Personnel

Links
Division of Infectious Diseases
Department of Internal Medicine
Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology, Medical Genetics
Deparment of Veterinary Biosciences