Emily K. Reinke

E-mail: ekreinke@wisc.edu

Research Project:

I am working with Dr. Fabry to investigate the role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in CNS autoimmune inflammation. I use experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of Multiple Sclerosis, and an in vitro cell culture model of the BBB to study the effects of Substance P and soluble PECAM on the inflammatory response at the BBB and the initiation of autoimmune disease. I look at changes in clinical disease, cellular migration and accumulation in the CNS, as well as BBB characteristics such as adhesion molecule expression, tight junction protein expression and localization, and barrier permeability to macromolecules and cells. Techniques used include flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR, ELISA, ELISpot, cell culture, and mouse EAE.

Abstracts and Publications:

• Reinke, E. and Z. Fabry. 2006. Breaking or making immunological privilege in the central nervous system: The regulation of immunity by neuropeptides. Immunol Lett. 104: 102-109
• Fabry, Z., E. Reinke, and J. Karman. 2005. T-Cell migration across the blood-brain barrier in CNS inflammatory diseases. In: E. de Vries and A. Prat (eds.), The blood-brain barrier and its microenvironment: Basic physiology to neurological disease. Taylor & Francis: New York. pp. 193-242.
• Pless, D.D., G. Ruthel, E.K. Reinke, R.G. Ulrich, and S. Bavari. 2005. Persistence of zinc-binding bacterial superantigens at
  the surface of antigen-presenting cells contributes to the extreme potency of these superantigens as T-cell activators. Infect Immun. 73: 5358-5366.
• Reinke, E. and Z. Fabry. 2004. The role of the substance P receptor, NK-1, in CNS inflammatory disease. International Society for Neuroimmunology VII Congress Abstr.
• Fabry, Z., M. Sandor, D. Sewell, and E. Reinke. 2003. The nature of immunologic privilege in the central nervous system. In R.M. Herndon (ed.), Multiple Sclerosis and the Demyelinating Diseases: The Basic Sciences. Demos Medical Publishing, New York. pp. 49-73.
• Sewell, D.L., E.K. Reinke, D.O. Co, L.H. Hogan, R.B. Fritz, M. Sandor, and Z. Fabry. 2003. Infection with Mycobacterium bovis BCG diverts traffic of myelin oligodendroglial glycoprotein autoantigen-specific T cells away from the central nervous system and ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. 10: 564-572. [PDF]
• Sewell, D., Z. Qing, E. Reinke, D. Elliot, J.Weinstock, M. Sandor, and Z. Fabry. 2003. Immunomodulation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by helminth ova immunization. Int. Immunol. 15: 59-69. [PDF]
• Reinke, E., P. Leu, S. Macvilay, D. Sewell, J. Weinstock, M. Hart, and Z. Fabry. 2002. The role of substance P in inflammation at the blood-brain barrier. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr.
• Sewell, D.L., E.K. Reinke, L.H. Hogan, M. Sandor, and Z. Fabry. 2002. Immunoregulation of CNS autoimmunity by helminth and mycobacterial infections. Immunol. Lett. 82: 101-110. [PDF]
• Pless, D.D., E.R. Torres, E.K. Reinke, and S. Bavari. 2001. High-affinity, protective antibodies to the binding domain of botulinum neurotoxin type A. Infection and Immunity 69: 570-574. [PDF]