Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit - Division of Intramural Research
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Bibiana Bielekova M.D., Investigator
Dr. Bielekova received an M.D. degree in 1993 from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. After a medical internship at SUNY Downstate, Medical Center in Brooklyn and a neurology residency at the Boston University, she did 3 year postdoctoral research fellowship at the NIH/NINDS/Neuroimmunology Branch (NIB). She remained at NIB for additional 5 years as staff physician, focusing on development of novel therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS). In 2005 she became associate professor of neurology and director of the Waddell Center for MS at University of Cincinnati. In 2008 she moved back to NINDS as an investigator. Her laboratory is studying mechanisms of immunoregulation in humans with special emphasis on regulatory NK cells and IL-2/IL-2R system and mechanisms of tissue injury in neuroimmunological diseases, such as MS.
Laboratory Staff
Jehad Edwan, Ph.D. Research Fellow 301-594- 2697
Jayne Martin, B.S., M.S Research Assistant 301-594- 1034
Research Interests
Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit (NDU) has two major areas of interest: First, we study mechanisms of immunoregulation in humans with special emphasis on immunoregulatory natural killer (NK) cells and IL-2/IL-2R system. We are investigating mechanisms that maintain immune tolerance (i.e. mechanisms that assure that immune system does not attack normal tissue) in healthy human subjects and in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) a putative autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). Our data indicate that IL-2/IL-2R system plays very important role in the crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune responses in humans, and it is likely to participate in the maintenance of immune tolerance in MS. Second, we are interested to define targets of the immune response in neuroimmunological diseases and mechanisms that participate in CNS tissue destruction. Our laboratory focuses on human subjects and extensive functional in-vitro studies are complemented with in-vivo observations derived from Phase I/II clinical trials that target pathways/molecules of interest defined in the laboratory. Our long-term goal is to develop novel, potentially curative immunomodulatory therapies for MS and to develop neuroprotective strategies for neuroimmunological diseases. Selected Recent PublicationsMuraro, P. and Bielekova, B.
Emerging therapies for MS - Neurotherapeutics 4 (4) 676-692 2007 Bielekova, B., Scrivner-Reichert, S., Catalfamo, M., Cerna, M., Waldmann, T.A., Henkart, P., McFarland, H. and Martin, R.
Regulatory CD56bright natural killer cells mediate immunomodulatory effects of IL-2R-targeted therapy (daclizumab) in multiple sclerosis - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 103: 15 5941-5946 2006 Bielekova, B., Kadom, N., Jeffries, Fisher, E., Howard, T., Ohayon, J., N., Richert, N., Bash, C. N., Frank, J., Stone, L., Martin, R., Cutter, G. and McFarland, H.
MRI as a Marker for Disease Heterogeneity in MS - Neurology 65 (7) 1071-1076 2005 Bielekova, B., Howard, T., Blevins, G., Richert, N., Markovic-Plese, S., Scrivner-Reichert, S., Wurfel, J., Waldmann, T. A., McFarland, H. and Martin, R.
Humanized Anti-CD25 (Daclizumab) Inhibits Disease Activity in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Failing to Respond to Interferon-beta - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,USA 10: 23 8705-8708 2004 Bielekova, B., Sung, M-H., Kadon, N., Simon, R., McFarland, H. and Martin, R.
Expansion and Functional Relevance of High-Avidity Myelin Specific T Cells in Multiple Sclerosis - Journal of Immunology 172 3893-3904 2004 Bielekova, B. and Martin, R.
Antigen-specific immunomodulation via altered peptide ligands - Journal of Molecular Medicine 79 552-565 2001
Contact Information
Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit Bld 10/Rm 5C103 10 center Drive MSC 1400 Bethesda MD 20892-
Telephone: 301-402- 4488 (office), 301- 496-4734 (laboratory), -- (fax), Email: Bibi.Bielekova@nih.gov
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Bibiana Bielekova M.D., Investigator
Dr. Bielekova received an M.D. degree in 1993 from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. After a medical internship at SUNY Downstate, Medical Center in Brooklyn and a neurology residency at the Boston University, she did 3 year postdoctoral research fellowship at the NIH/NINDS/Neuroimmunology Branch (NIB). She remained at NIB for additional 5 years as staff physician, focusing on development of novel therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS). In 2005 she became associate professor of neurology and director of the Waddell Center for MS at University of Cincinnati. In 2008 she moved back to NINDS as an investigator. Her laboratory is studying mechanisms of immunoregulation in humans with special emphasis on regulatory NK cells and IL-2/IL-2R system and mechanisms of tissue injury in neuroimmunological diseases, such as MS.
Laboratory Staff
Jehad Edwan, Ph.D. Research Fellow 301-594- 2697
Jayne Martin, B.S., M.S Research Assistant 301-594- 1034
Research Interests
Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit (NDU) has two major areas of interest: First, we study mechanisms of immunoregulation in humans with special emphasis on immunoregulatory natural killer (NK) cells and IL-2/IL-2R system. We are investigating mechanisms that maintain immune tolerance (i.e. mechanisms that assure that immune system does not attack normal tissue) in healthy human subjects and in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) a putative autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). Our data indicate that IL-2/IL-2R system plays very important role in the crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune responses in humans, and it is likely to participate in the maintenance of immune tolerance in MS. Second, we are interested to define targets of the immune response in neuroimmunological diseases and mechanisms that participate in CNS tissue destruction. Our laboratory focuses on human subjects and extensive functional in-vitro studies are complemented with in-vivo observations derived from Phase I/II clinical trials that target pathways/molecules of interest defined in the laboratory. Our long-term goal is to develop novel, potentially curative immunomodulatory therapies for MS and to develop neuroprotective strategies for neuroimmunological diseases. Selected Recent PublicationsMuraro, P. and Bielekova, B.
Emerging therapies for MS - Neurotherapeutics 4 (4) 676-692 2007 Bielekova, B., Scrivner-Reichert, S., Catalfamo, M., Cerna, M., Waldmann, T.A., Henkart, P., McFarland, H. and Martin, R.
Regulatory CD56bright natural killer cells mediate immunomodulatory effects of IL-2R-targeted therapy (daclizumab) in multiple sclerosis - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 103: 15 5941-5946 2006 Bielekova, B., Kadom, N., Jeffries, Fisher, E., Howard, T., Ohayon, J., N., Richert, N., Bash, C. N., Frank, J., Stone, L., Martin, R., Cutter, G. and McFarland, H.
MRI as a Marker for Disease Heterogeneity in MS - Neurology 65 (7) 1071-1076 2005 Bielekova, B., Howard, T., Blevins, G., Richert, N., Markovic-Plese, S., Scrivner-Reichert, S., Wurfel, J., Waldmann, T. A., McFarland, H. and Martin, R.
Humanized Anti-CD25 (Daclizumab) Inhibits Disease Activity in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Failing to Respond to Interferon-beta - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,USA 10: 23 8705-8708 2004 Bielekova, B., Sung, M-H., Kadon, N., Simon, R., McFarland, H. and Martin, R.
Expansion and Functional Relevance of High-Avidity Myelin Specific T Cells in Multiple Sclerosis - Journal of Immunology 172 3893-3904 2004 Bielekova, B. and Martin, R.
Antigen-specific immunomodulation via altered peptide ligands - Journal of Molecular Medicine 79 552-565 2001
Contact Information
Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit Bld 10/Rm 5C103 10 center Drive MSC 1400 Bethesda MD 20892-
Telephone: 301-402- 4488 (office), 301- 496-4734 (laboratory), -- (fax), Email: Bibi.Bielekova@nih.gov