Johns Hopkins University

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine

Research
Dr. Casolaro’s research has long been devoted to the study of the regulation of transcription of cytokine genes in polarized T cell responses. In particular, his laboratory is focused on the identification and pharmacological manipulation of factors uniquely involved in the regulation of the Th2 cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, at both the transcriptional and epigenetic levels. These include factors of the NF-kappaB/Rel family, especially p65 and p50, and of the novel family of Grainyhead-related proteins, including LBP-1c/LSF/CP2 and its related proteins, LBP-1a and -1d.

Future projects
Dr. Casolaro’s research has long been devoted to the study of the regulation of transcription of cytokine genes in polarized T cell responses. In particular, his laboratory is focused on the identification and pharmacological manipulation of factors uniquely involved in the regulation of the Th2 cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, at both the transcriptional and epigenetic levels. These include factors of the NF-kappaB/Rel family, especially p65 and p50, and of the novel family of Grainyhead-related proteins, including LBP-1c/LSF/CP2 and its related proteins, LBP-1a and -1d

Selected publications
Casolaro V, Georas SN, Song Z, Zubkoff ID, Abdulkadir SA, Thanos D, Ono SJ. Inhibition of NF-AT-dependent transcription by NF-kB: Implications for differential gene expression in T helper cell subsets. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1995;92:11623-7.

Georas SN, Cumberland JE, Burke TF, Chen R, Schindler U, Casolaro V. Stat6 inhibits human interleukin-4 promoter activity in T cells. Blood 1998;92:4529-38.

Casolaro V, Keane-Myers AM, Swendeman SL, Steindler C, Zhong F, Sheffery M, Georas SN, Ono SJ. Identification and characterization of a critical CP2-binding element in the human IL-4 promoter. J Biol Chem 2000;275:36605-11.

Cianferoni A, Schroeder JT, Kim J, Schmidt JW, Lichtenstein LM, Georas SN, Casolaro V. Selective inhibition of IL-4 gene expression in human T cells by aspirin. Blood 2001;97:1742-9.

Guo J, Casolaro V, Seto E, Yang WM, Chang C, Seminario MC, Keen J, Georas SN. Yin-Yang 1 activates interleukin-4 gene expression in T cells. J Biol Chem 2001;276:48871-8.