Kathrin Michelsen, PhD Research Scientist, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
Email: kathrin.michelsen@cshs.org Phone: (310) 423-0539 Fax: (310) 423-0224

Academic Appointments

Assistant Professor, Medicine

Awards and Activities

UCLA Chancellor's Award for Postdoctoral Research	2005
American Association of Immunologists	2003
International Endotoxin and Innate Immunity Society	2004

Research Focus

Role of innate and adaptive immunity in the development of intestinal inflammation. Animal models are used to elucidate the molecular mechanism of dysregulated immune responses that leads to chronic inflammation of the mucosa. The mouse models of intestinal inflammation are used as pre-clinical models to conduct laboratory studies that will identify molecules for eventual therapeutic intervention.

Research Contributions

Defined a role for the innate immune system and in particular Toll-like receptors in the development of chronic inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis and colitis.

Current investigations include:

Mouse models of acute and chronic intestinal inflammation, role of TL1A in differentiation of human TH17 cells, role of TH17 cells in intestinal inflammatory processes

Selected Publications

1. Takedatsu H, Michelsen KS, Wei B, Landers CJ, Thomas LS, Dhall D, Braun J, Targan SR: TL1A (TNFSF15) Regulates the Development of Chronic Colitis by Modulating Both T-Helper 1 and T-Helper 17 Activation. Gastroenterology, , 2008
2. Shuang Chen , Wong MH, Schulte DJ, Arditi M, Michelsen KS: Differential expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and responses to TLR2 ligands between human and murine vascular endothelial cells. J. Endotoxin Res., 13(5): 281-96, 2007
3. Prehn JL, Thomas LS, Landers CJ, Yu QT, Michelsen KS, Targan SR: The T cell costimulator TL1A is induced by FcgammaR signaling in human monocytes and dendritic cells. J. Immunol., 178(7): 4033-8, 2007
4. Michelsen KS, Arditi M: Toll-like receptors and innate immunity in gut homeostasis and pathology. Curr. Opin. Hematol., 14(1): 48-54, 2007
5. Michelsen KS, Arditi M: Toll-like receptor signaling and atherosclerosis. Curr. Opin. Hematol., 13(3): 163-8, 2006
6. Michelsen KS, Wong MH, Shah PK, Zhang W, Yano J, Doherty TM, Akira S, Rajavashisth TB, Arditi M: Lack of Toll-like receptor 4 or myeloid differentiation factor 88 reduces atherosclerosis and alters plaque phenotype in mice deficient in apolipoprotein E. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 101(29): 10679-84, 2004