Education:

B.S., Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, 1980
Ph.D., Cell and Molecular Biology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1986

Curriculum Vitae

Current Positions:

Professor and Chairman, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine

Contact Information:

505 S Hancock Street, Rm 603
Louisville, KY 40202

Email: nejat.egilmez@louisville.edu

Website Link:

http://louisville.edu/medicine/departments/microbiology/faculty/egilmez

Research Description:

Our laboratory is interested in identifying the role of T-cell-intrinsic homeostatic and inflammatory mechanisms in the premature termination of/resistance to treatment-induced antitumor cytotoxic T-cell responses.  Recent work has focused on the role of type 17 immunity in promoting tumorigenesis and immune checkpoint blockade responsiveness in genetic murine models of lung and colon cancer.

Representative Publications:

Tumor immunity/immune therapy 

Li Q, Anderson CD, Egilmez NK.  Inhaled IL-10 suppresses lung tumorigenesis via abrogation of inflammatory macrophage – Th17 cell axis.  Journal of Immunology 2018 Sep 26.  Pii: ko1800141. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1800141. [Epub ahead of print]  PMID: 30257887.

Bhutiani N, Li Q, Anderson CD, Gallagher HC, De Jesus M, Singh R, Jala VR, Fraig M, Gu T, Egilmez NK.  Enhanced gut barrier integrity sensitizes colon cancer to immune therapy.  Oncoimmunology 2018.  In press. https://doi.org/10.1080/2162402X.2018.1498438 

Gu T, De Jesus M, GallagherHC, Burris TP, Egilmez NK.  Oral IL-10 suppresses colon carcinogenesis via elimination of pathogenic CD4+ T-cells and induction of antitumor CD8+ T-cell activity.  Oncoimmunology 2017 Apr 20;6(6):e1319027. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2017.1319027. eCollection.  PMID:28680752.  PMCID: PMC5486184.

Chung AY, Li Q, Blair SJ, De Jesus M, Dennis KL, LeVea C, Yao J, Sun Y, Conway TF, Virtuoso LP, Battaglia NG, Furtado S, Mathiowitz E, Mantis NJ, Khazaie K, Egilmez NK.  Oral Interleukin-10 alleviates polyposis via neutralization of pathogenic T-regulatory cells.  Cancer Research 2014 Oct 1;74(19):5377-85. PMID: 25228656. PMCID: PMC4322772. 

Immune regulation

Li Q, Harden JL, Anderson CD, Egilmez NK.  Tolerogenic phenotype of IFN-γ-induced IDO+ dendritic cells is maintained via an autocrine IDO-kynurenine/AhR-IDO loop.  Journal of Immunology 2016 Aug 1;197(3):962-70. Epub 2016 Jun 17. PMID: 27316681. [ http://www.jimmunol.org/content/197/3/962.long ] 

Li Q, Virtuoso LP, Anderson CD, Egilmez NK.  Regulatory rebound in interleukin-12-treated tumors is driven by uncommitted peripheral Treg.  Journal of Immunology 2015 Aug 1;195(3):1293-300. PMID: 26085681. [ http://www.jimmunol.org/content/195/3/1293.long ]

Harden JL, Gu T, Kilinc MO, Rowswell-Turner RB, Virtuoso LP, Egilmez NK.  Dichotomous effects of IFNγ on dendritic cell function determine the extent of interleukin-12-driven antitumor T-cell immunity.  Journal of Immunology 2011 Jul 1;187(1):126-32. PMID: 21632715. PMCID: PMC3119751.

PubMed Information