Faculty

Eric M. Smith, Ph.D.

Professor
esmith@utmb.edu
MRB, Route 1019
Departments of Pediatrics and Microbiology & Immunology
Phone: (409)772-6747
Fax: (409)772-3511

Education:	Ph.D. | 1980 | Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
	B.S. | 1975 | Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York

Overview

Psychoneuroimmunology; immune and neuroendocrine systems; hormone production in immune responses.

Research Interests

The goal of the laboratory is to understand the regulatory mechanisms linking the immune and neuroendocrine systems. We determined that a principal way by which these systems communicate is through common signal molecules and their receptors. For instance, lymphoid cells produce and respond to certain pituitary hormones. Likewise, neuroendocrine cells produce and respond to various cytokines. Studies are in progress in the laboratory characterizing the speci?c neuropeptide hormones and cytokines shared by lymphoid and neuroendocrine tissues. Using several paradigms, the laboratory is exploring the hypothesis that activation of these neuroendocrine and immune system pathways cause many of the systemic effects associated with infections and inflammation. One speci?c project is aimed at determining the intracellular mechanisms regulating the production and action of the neuroendocrine hormone, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) by lymphocytes. Another speci?c project is determining, at the cellular and molecular levels the production and activities of interleukin 10 (IL-10) in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Recent Publications

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