Viral Immunology Section - Division of Intramural Research

 Steven   Jacobson  Ph.D., Senior Investigator

Dr. Jacobson received his B.A. from Temple University and his Ph.D. from the Rennselear Polytechnic Institute where he earned his degree in Virology. The focus of his research was on persistent virus infections. In 1981, Dr. Jacobson joined the Neuroimmunology Branch as a postdoctoral research fellow in immunology as a National Multiple Sclerosis Society Fellow. In 1993, he received tenure and formed the Viral Immunology Section to study the role of human viruses in the pathogenesis of chronic progressive neurologic disease. Dr. Jacobson's laboratory is studying virological, immunological, and molecular mechanisms associated with the human T lymphotropic virus type-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis and the association of virus in multiple sclerosis.

Laboratory Staff

Nahid Akhyani, B.S., Research Assistant , 301-402- 6391
Julie Fortheringham, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow
Kazunori Fugo, M.D., Ph.D., Visiting Fellow
Christian Grant, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow
Steven Jacobson, Ph.D., Senior Investigator , 301-496- 0519
Norihiro Takenouchi, M.D., Ph.D., Visiting Fellow
Oh Unsong, M.D., Clinical Fellow
Elizabeth Williams, B.S., Research Assistant
Karen Yao, B.S., Predoctoral Fellow ,  - -

Research Interests

Human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is associated with a chronic progressive neurological disorder known as HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), a disease clinically similar to the chronic progressive form of multiple sclerosis (MS). Other viruses such as human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6) have been associated with MS. An understanding of the pathogenesis of a neurologic disease with a known viral etiology will aid in defining similar mechanisms of pathogenesis in MS, a disease of unknown etiology.

Clinical Protocols

Immuno-Virological Evaluation of Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type-1 Associated Myelopathy (HAM/TSP)  NCT00001778

Combined Clinical, Immunological and Virological Assessment of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)  NCT00001156

Human Herpesvirus-6 and Its Effect on the GABA/glutamate Balance in the Cerebrospinal Fluid and in the Brain from Patients with Epilepsy   NCT00085683

Selected Recent Publications

Yamano Y, Takenouchi N, Chris Grant, Li H-C, Tomaru U, Yao K, Maric D, and Jacobson S
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) induced dysfunction of CD4+CD25+ T cells breaks immunological self-tolerance in patients with HTLV-I associated neurological disease - J Clin Invest   115 1361-1368 2005

Oh U, Yamano Y, Mora CA, Ohayon J, Bagnato F, Buttman J, Dambrosia J, Leist T, McFarland HF and Jacobson S
Interferon-ƒÒ1a therapy for HTLV-I-associated Myelopathy / Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (HAM/TSP) Reduces HTLV-I-specific CD8+ T cells: Analysis of HAM/TSP biomarkers - Annals of Neurology   57 526-534 2005

R Cassiani-Ingoni, H Greenstone, D Donati, A Fogdell-Hahn, E Martinelli, D Refai, R Martin, EA Berger and S Jacobson
Viral infection induces cell-cell fusion of human lymphocytes with oligodendrocytes through CD46 - Glia    2005

Semmes OJ, Cazares L, Ward M, Moody M, Bray S, Maloney E, Kisada M, Wright GL, Gygi S and Jacobson S
Discrete Protein Signatures Discriminate between Adult T-cell Leukemia and HTLV-1-Associated Myelopathy  - Leukemia  19 (7) 1229-1238 2005

Yoshihisa Y, Cohen CJ, Tomaru U, Li HC, Takenouchi N, Biddison WE, Reiter Y, and Jacobson S
Increased expression of HTLV-I Tax11-19 peptide/HLA-A*201 complexes on CD4+CD25+ T cells detected by TCR-like antibody in HAM/TSP patients - J. Exp.   199 1367-1377 2004

Donati D, Ahkyani N, Fogdell-Hahn A, Cermelli C, Vortmeyer A, Heiss JD, P. Cogen P, Gaillard WD, Sato S, Theodore WH, and Jacobson S
Detection of Human Herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) in Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Surgical Brain Resections - Neurology  61 1405-1411 2003

Selected Earlier Publications

Contact Information

Viral Immunology Section Neuroimmunology Branch, NINDS  Building 10, Room 5N-214  10 Center Drive, MSC 1400 Bethesda MD  20892-1400

Telephone: 301-496- 0519 (office), 301- 496-0519 (laboratory), 301-402- 0373 (fax), Email: jacobsons@ninds.nih.gov