Richard Morrison

Department Chairman, Microbiology and Immunology

Immunology

Research Interest:  Immunobiology of Chlamydia Infection

Ph.D: University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma Ph.D. 1982

Postdoctoral:

1986-1988 Special Volunteer, NIH, NIAID, Laboratory of Microbial Structure and Function, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, Montana

1982-1986 Staff Fellow, NIH, NIAID, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, Montana

Phone: 501-686-8599
Fax: (501) 686-5359  

E-mail

Research Description

Chlamydia trachomatis sexually transmitted infections cause considerable morbidity and socioeconomic burden worldwide, despite significant advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis and epidemiology of this bacterial pathogen. Chlamydial urogenital infections are readily cured with antibiotics, but control measures based upon antimicrobial chemotherapy alone are hampered by the frequency of asymptomatic infections and delayed diagnosis. Definitive control of C. trachomatis sexually transmitted diseases is possible through the development of a safe and effective vaccine. A heightened understanding of protective immunity to chlamydial genital infection has emerged this past decade from studies using a mouse model of Chlamydia muridarum infection. The insights gained from studies using the mouse model of infection are of considerable interest because they offer promise for the development of an efficacious vaccine. Using the mouse model of chlamydial genital infection, we have shown that anti-chlamydia antibody markedly protects animals during genital tract reinfection. Our current studies focus on using an immunomics approach to identify chlamydial antigens recognized by the protective convalescent serum; testing recombinant preparations of protective antigens for their ability to induce protective antibody responses; and characterizing the cellular component that interacts with protective antibody to resolve secondary chlamydial reinfection. Sustained control of chlamydial urogenital infections will be achieved only by the development of an efficacious vaccine. Our studies will provide important insight toward achieving that goal.

References

Morrison SG and Morrison RP .  Humoral immunity to Chlamydia muridarum genital tract reinfection. Chlamydial Infections: Proceedings of the Eleventh International Symposium on Human Chlamydial Infections. 2006; 373-376.

Tiitinen A, Surcel H-M, Halttunen M, Birkelund S, Bloigu A, Christiansen G, Koskela P, Morrison SG, Morrison RP , and Paavonen J.   Chlamydia trachomatis and chlamydial heat shock protein 60-specific antibody and cell-mediated responses predict tubal factor infertility.  Hum. Reprod.  2006;  21:1533-1538.

Morrison SG and Morrison RP. A predominant role for antibody in acquired immunity to chlamydial genital tract reinfection. J. Immunol. 2005; 175:7536-7542.

Morrison SG and Morrison RP. The protective effect of antibody in immunity to murine chlamydial genital tract reinfection is independent of IgA. Infect. Immun. 2005; 73:6183-6186.

Perschinka H, Mayr M, Millonig G, Mayerl C, van der Zee R, Morrison SG, Morrison RP, Xu Q, and Wick G. Cross-reactive B-cell epitopes of microbial and human heat shock protein 60/65 in atherosclerosis. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 2003; 23:1060-1065.

Morrison RP. New insights into a persistent problem – chlamydial infections. J. Clin. Invest. 2003; 111:1647-1649.

Jacobs JM, Bailey BW, Burritt JB, Morrison SG, Morrison RP, Dratz EA, Jesaitis AJ, and Teintze M. QSYP peptide sequence is selected from phage display libraries by bovine IgG contaminants in monoclonal antibody preparations. Biotechniques 2003; 34:132-141.

Kinnunen A, Surcel H-M, Halttunen, M, Tiitinen A, Morrison RP, Morrison SG, Koskela P, Lehtinen M, and Paavonen J. Chlamydia trachomatis heat shock protein-60 induced interferon-g and interleukin-10 production in infertile women. Clin. Exp. Immunol. 2003; 131:299-303.

Kinnunen A, Surcel H-M, Lehtinen M, Karhukorpi J, Tiitinen A, Halttunen M, Bloigu A, Kivela H, Morrison RP, Karttunen R, and Paavonen J. HLA DQ alleles and interleukin-10 polymorphism associated with Chlamydia trachomatis-related tubal factor infertility: a case-control study. Hum. Reprod. 2002; 17:2073-2078.

Morrison RP and Caldwell HD. Mini Review. Immunity to murine chlamydial genital infection. Infect. Immun. 2002; 70:2741-2751.

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