H. Marie Lacy

Research Assistant Professor

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology/Immunology
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, AR

Master of Science in Vertebrate Zoology
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN

Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Memphis, TN

Phone: (501) 364-2471   

Research Description

Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacterium that causes trachoma, a chronic inflammatory ocular disease, which is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the world. Literally millions of people have C. trachomatis ocular infections, notably in underdeveloped countries where environmental sanitation is poor. An individual's immune system can eventually clear a chlamydial eye infection, but immunity is not long lasting. Repeat infections can occur, and it is the repeated infections that produce chronic inflammation, tissue scarring, and eventual blindness.

The immune system is composed of two major subdivisions, the innate and the adaptive immune responses. Research on chlamydial ocular infections has shown that the adaptive response – including the humoral (antibodies) and the cell-mediated responses (T lymphocytes) - is required to resolve an infection. However, the role of the innate immune system has not been investigated. The overall goal of my research is to define and characterize the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which the innate immune system clears a chlamydial infection, regulates the adaptive immune response, and produces pathology in chlamydial ocular infections. Currently, I am focusing on the activities of the polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN), an innate immune cell. PMNs are the first and most prominent cell to arrive at a chlamydial infectious site. They are known to help resolve bacterial infections by promoting inflammation and phagocytizing and killing extracellular bacteria. Recent evidence suggests that PMNs are also involved in initiating the adaptive immune response. My present research objective is to confirm the regulatory role that PMNs play in mounting an adaptive immune response to a chlamydial ocular infection and to define the mechanisms involved.

References

1. Lacy HM, Gunnell MG, Laurenzana EM, Owens SM. Engineering and characterization of a mouse/human chimeric anti-phencyclidine monoclonal antibody. Int Immunopharmacol 2008, 8(1):1-11.

2. Zent CS, Chen JB, Kurten RC, Kaushal GP, Lacy HM, Schichman SA. Alemtuzumab (CAMPATH 1H) does not kill chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells in serum free medium. Leuk Res 2004, 28:495-507.

3. Lacy HM, Sanderson RD. 6xHis promotes binding of a recombinant protein to heparan sulfate. Biotechniques 2002, 32:254-258.

4. Lacy HM , Sanderson RD. Sperm protein 17 is expressed on normal and malignant lymphocytes and promotes heparan sulfate-mediated cell-cell adhesion. Blood 2001, 98:2160-2165.

5. Dhodapkar MV, Abe E, Theus A, Lacy M, Langford JK, Barlogie B, Sanderson RD. Syndecan-1 is a multifunctional regulator of myeloma pathobiology: Control of tumor cell survival, growth and bone cell differentiation. Blood 1998, 91:2679-2688.

6. Lacy M, Jones J, Whittemore SR, Haviland DL, Wetsel RA, Barnum, SR. Expression of the receptors for the C5a anaphylatoxin, interleukin-8 and FMLP by human astrocytes and microglia. J Neuroimmunol. 1995, 61:71-78.

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