Barbara Rehermann, M.D.


Chief, Immunology Section

Liver Diseases Branch
IMMUNOLOGY SECTION
NIDDK, National Institutes of Health
Building 10 , Room 9B16C
10 Center Dr.
Bethesda, MD 20814
Tel: 301-402-7144
Fax: 301-402-0491
Email: barbarar@intra.niddk.nih.gov

Barbara Rehermann, M.D.

Education / Previous Training and Experience:

MD, Medizinische Hochschule, Hannover, Germany
PD (Immunology), Medizinische Hochschule, Hannover, Germany



Research Statement:

My research interests are the immunobiology and pathogenesis of viral and autoimmune hepatitis. Viral hepatitis B and C belong to the most common forms of liver disease that affects more than 500 million people worldwide. The spectrum of disease ranges from acute to chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The clinical course of disease not only reflects the biologic properties and pathogenicity of these two hepatitis viruses, but is the result of the specific interaction between each virus and the immune system of the infected host. In addition to virus-specific antibodies, T cells are considered key players in the defense against these viruses, because of their ability to recognize viral antigens in and to eliminate virus from infected cells. However, once chronic infection is established, the virus specific immune response seems to be unable to terminate persistent infection in most cases and, instead, contributes to liver injury and chronic hepatitis. Current research focuses on the role of the virus specific immune response in viral clearance as well as disease pathogenesis using multidisciplinary approaches that include research with infected patients, transgenic mice, and infectious animal models.

We are always looking for enthusiastic new investigators to join our group. If you are interested, please feel free to contact me to learn more about our current projects.



Selected Publications:

Shin E, Park S, DeMino M Nascimbeni M, Mihalik K, Major M, Veerapu NS, Heller T, Feinstone SM, Rice CM, Rehermann B. Delayed induction not impaired recruitment of specific CD8 T cells causes the late onset of acute hepatitis C. Gastroenterology , in press, 2011.

Loomba R, Rivera MM, McBurney R, Park R, Haynes-Williams V, Rehermann B, Alter HJ, Herrine SK, Liang TJ, Hoofnagle JH, Heller T. The natural history of acute hepatitis C: clinical presentation, laboratory findings and treatment outcomes. Aliment Pharmacol Ther (33):559-65, 2011 [Full Text/Abstract]

Zeremski M, Hooker G, Shu MA, Winkelstein Q, Brown E, Des Jarlais DC, Tobler LH, Rehermann B, Busch MP, Edlin BR, Talal AH. Induction of CXCR3- and CCR5-associated chemokines during acute hepatitis C virus infection. J Hepatol. Jan 21. [Epub ahead of print], 2011 [Full Text/Abstract]

Veerapu NS, Raghuraman S, Liang TJ, Heller T, Rehermann B. Sporadic Reappearance of Minute Amounts of Hepatitis C Virus RNA After Successful Therapy Stimulates Cellular Immune Responses. Gastroenterology (140):676-685, 2011 [Full Text/Abstract]

Edlich B, Hogdal LJ, Rehermann B *, Behrens S *. Dendritic cells transfected with Her2 antigen-encoding RNA replicons cross-prime CD8 T cells and protect mice against tumor challenge. Vaccine (28):7764-73, 2010. [Full Text/Abstract]

Caggiari L, De Zorzi M, Rehermann B, de Re V. Identification of a new Patr-B*01 variant, Patr-B*0102, by sequence-based typing in a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). Tissue Antigens . (75):186-8, 2010. [Full Text/Abstract]

Ahlenstiel G, Titerence RH, Koh C, Edlich B, Feld JJ, Rotman Y, Ghany M, Hoofnagle JH, Liang TJ, Heller T, Rehermann B. Natural killer cell function is polarized towards cytotoxicity in chronic hepatitis C in an IFN- dependent manner. Gastroenterology (138):325-35, 2010. [Full Text/Abstract]

Rehermann B. Hepatitis C virus versus innate and adaptive immune responses: a tale of co-evolution and coexistence. The Journal of Clinical Investigation , (119):1745-54, 2009. [Full Text/Abstract]

Shiina M, Rehermann B. Analysis of HCV-specific T cells by flow cytometry. Methods in Molecular Biology , (510):415-26, 2009. [Full Text/Abstract]

Yoon JC, Rehermann B. Determination of HCV-specific T cell activity. Methods in Molecular Biology , (510):403-13, 2009. [Full Text/Abstract]

Lanford RE, Evans MJ, Lohmann V, Lindenbach B, Gale M, Rehermann B, Chang KM, Lemon SM. The accelerating pace of HCV research: a summary of the 15th international symposium on hepatitis C virus and related viruses. Gastroenterology , (136):9-16, 2009. [Full Text/Abstract]

Yoon JC, Shiina M, Ahlenstiel G, Rehermann B. Natural killer cell function is intact after direct exposure to infectious hepatitis C virions. Hepatology , (49):12-21, 2009. [Full Text/Abstract]

Edlin BR, Shu MA, Winkelstein E, Des Jarlais DC, Busch MP, Rehermann B, O'Brien TR, Talal AH, Tobler LH, Zeremski M, Beeder AB. More rare birds, and the occasional swan. Gastroenterology , (136):2412-14, 2009. [Full Text/Abstract]

Heller T, Hoofnagle J, Liang TJ, Rehermann B. Acute hepatitis C. Gastroenterology , (136):2411, 2009. [Full Text/Abstract]

Ahlenstiel G, Martin MP, Gao X, Carrington M, Rehermann B. Distinct KIR/HLA compound genotypes affect the kinetics of antiviral NK cell responses. The Journal of Clinical Investigation , (118):1017-26, 2008. [Full Text/Abstract]

Shiina M, Rehermann B. Cell culture-produed hepatitis C virus impairs plasmacytoid dendritic cell function. Hepatology , (47):385-95, 2008. [Full Text/Abstract]

Mizukoshi E, Eisenbach C, Edlin BR, Newton KP, Weiler-Normann C, Tobler LH, Busch MP, Carrington M, McKeating JA, O’Brien TR, Rehermann B. Hepatitis C virus-specific immune responses of frequently exposed long-term injection drug users. The Journal of Infectious Diseases , (198): 203-12, 2008. [Full Text/Abstract]

Caggiari L, De Zorzi M, Ahlenstiel G, Rehermann B, De Re V. Identification of new MHC-A, -B, -C alleles in chimpanzees. Tissue Antigens (72):79-83, 2008. [Full Text/Abstract

Shin EC, Capone S, Cortese R, Colloca S, Nicosia A, Folgori A, Rehermann B. The kinetics of hepatitis C virus-specific CD8 T cell reponses in the blood mirror those in the liver in acute hepatitis C virus infection. Journal of Virology (82):9782-8, 2008. [Full Text/Abstract]

Caggiari L, Rehermann B, Folgori A, De Re V. Identification of four novel MHC-C alleles in chimpanzees. Tissue Antigens ,(70):78-9, 2007. [Full Text/Abstract

Rehermann B. Chronic infections with hepatotropic viruses: mechanisms of impairment of cellular immune responses. Seminars in Liver Diseases (27):152-60, 2007. [Full Text/Abstract]

Bernardin F, Stramer S, Rehermann B, Page-Shafer K, Cooper S, Bangsberg D, Hahn J, Tobler L, Busch M, Delwart E. High levels of subgenomic HCV plasma RNA in immunosilent infections. Virology (365):446-56, 2007. [Full Text/Abstract]

Shin EC, Seifert U, Urban S, Truong KT, Feinstone SM, Rice CM, Kloetzel PM, Rehermann B. Proteasome activator and antigen-processing aminopeptidases are regulated by virus-induced type I interferon in the hepatitis C virus-infected liver. Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research ,(27):985-90, 2007. [Full Text/Abstract]

Rehermann B, Naoumov NV Immunological techniques in viral hepatitis. J Hepatol (46): 508-20, 2007. [Full Text/Abstract]

Manigold T, Shin EC, Mizukoshi E, Mihalik K, Murthy KK, Rice CM, Piccirillo CA, Rehermann B Foxp3+CD4+CD25+ T cells control virus-specific memory T cells in chimpanzees that recovered from hepatitis C. Blood (107): 4424-32, 2006. [Full Text/Abstract]

Shiina M, Rehermann B Hepatitis C vaccines: Inducing and challenging memory T cells. Hepatology (43): 1395-8, 2006. [Full Text/Abstract]

Von Hahn T, Yoon JC, Alter H, Rice CM, Rehermann B, Balfe P, McKeating JA Hepatitis C Virus Continuously Escapes From Neutralizing Antibody and T-Cell Responses During Chronic Infection In Vivo. Gastroenterology , 2006. [Full Text/Abstract]

Caggiari L, Simula MP, Marzotto A, Shiina M, Rehermann B, De Re V Identification of novel chimpanzee MHC class I and II alleles using an improved sequence-based typing strategy. Hum Immunol (67): 63-72, 2006. [Full Text/Abstract]

Shin EC, Rehermann B Taking the brake off T cells in chronic viral infection. Nat Med (12): 276-7, 2006. [Full Text/Abstract]

Racanelli V, Rehermann B The liver as an immunological organ. Hepatology (43): S54-62, 2006. [Full Text/Abstract]

Shin EC, Seifert U, Kato T, Rice CM, Feinstone SM, Kloetzel PM, Rehermann B Virus-induced type I IFN stimulates generation of immunoproteasomes at the site of infection. J Clin Invest (116): 3006-14, 2006. [Full Text/Abstract]

Heller T, Rehermann B Acute hepatitis C: a multifaceted disease. Semin Liver Dis (25): 7-17, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Ahlenstiel G, Rehermann B Hepatitis C virus and the threshold of natural killer cell inhibition. Hepatology (41): 675-7, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Rehermann B, Nascimbeni M Immunology of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection. Nat Rev Immunol (5): 215-29, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Shin EC, Protzer U, Untergasser A, Feinstone SM, Rice CM, Hasselschwert D, Rehermann B Liver-directed gamma interferon gene delivery in chronic hepatitis C. J Virol (79): 13412-20, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Shin EC, Protzer U, Untergasser A, Feinstone SM, Rice CM, Hasselschwert D, Rehermann B Liver-directed gamma interferon gene delivery in chronic hepatitis C. J Virol (79): 13412-20, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Vandepapeliere P, Rehermann B, Koutsoukos M, Moris P, Garcon N, Wettendorff M, Leroux-Roels G. Potent enhancement of cellular and humoral immune responses against recombinant hepatitis B antigens using AS02A adjuvant in healthy adults. Vaccine (23): 2591-601, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Rehermann B, Shin EC. Private aspects of heterologous immunity. J Exp Med (201): 667-70, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Mizukoshi E, Sidney J, Livingston B, Ghany M, Hoofnagle JH, Sette A, Rehermann B Cellular immune responses to the hepatitis B virus polymerase. J Immunol (173): 5863-71, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Racanelli V, Behrens SE, Aliberti J Rehermann B Dendritic cells transfected with cytopathic self-replicating RNA induce crosspriming of CD8+ T cells and antiviral immunity. Immunity (20): 47-58, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Nascimbeni M, Rehermann B. Determination of hepatitis B virus-specific CD8+ T-cell activity in the liver. Methods Mol Med (96): 65-83, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Rahman F Heller T Sobao Y Mizukoshi E Nascimbeni M Alter H Herrine S Hoofnagle J, Liang TJ, Rehermann B. Effects of antiviral therapy on the cellular immune response in acute hepatitis C. Hepatology (40): 87-97, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Rahman F, Rehermann B. Ethnicity and hepatitis C virus infection. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol (2): 456-8, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Seifert U, Liermann H, Racanelli V, Halenius A, Wiese M, Wedemeyer H, Ruppert T, Rispeter K, Henklein P, Sijts A, Hengel H, Kloetzel PM. Rehermann B Hepatitis C virus mutation affects proteasomal epitope processing. J Clin Invest (114): 250-9, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Jeong SH, Qiao M, Nascimbeni M, Hu Z, Rehermann B, Murthy K, Liang TJ. Immunization with hepatitis C virus-like particles induces humoral and cellular immune responses in nonhuman primates. J Virol (78): 6995-7003, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Nascimbeni M, Shin EC, Chiriboga L, Kleiner DE, Rehermann B. Peripheral CD4(+)CD8(+) T cells are differentiated effector memory cells with antiviral functions. Blood (104): 478-86, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Nascimbeni M, Rehermann B. Chronic HCV infection and the clonality of intrahepatic T cells. J Hepatol (38): 677-80, 2003. [Full Text/Abstract]

Manigold T, Rehermann B. Chronic hepatitis B and hepatocarcinogenesis: does prevention of "collateral damage" bring the cure? Hepatology (37): 707-10, 2003. [Full Text/Abstract]

Racanelli, V Rehermann B. Hepatitis C virus infection: when silence is deception. Trends Immunol (24): 456-64, 2003. [Full Text/Abstract]

Rehermann B. Immune responses in hepatitis B virus infection. Semin Liver Dis (23): 21-38, 2003. [Full Text/Abstract]

Nascimbeni M, Mizukoshi E, Bosmann M, Major ME, Mihalik K, Rice CM, Feinstone SM, Rehermann B. Kinetics of CD4+ and CD8+ memory T-cell responses during hepatitis C virus rechallenge of previously recovered chimpanzees. J Virol (77): 4781-93, 2003. [Full Text/Abstract]

Thomson M, Nascimbeni M, Havert MB, Major M, Gonzales S, Alter H, Feinstone SM, Murthy KK, Rehermann B, Liang TJ. The clearance of hepatitis C virus infection in chimpanzees may not necessarily correlate with the appearance of acquired immunity. J Virol (77): 862-70, 2003. [Full Text/Abstract]

Wedemeyer H, He XS, Nascimbeni M, Davis AR, Greenberg HB, Hoofnagle JH, Liang TJ, Alter H, Rehermann B. Impaired effector function of hepatitis C virus-specific CD8+ T cells in chronic hepatitis C virus infection. J Immunol (169): 3447-58, 2002. [Full Text/Abstract]

Mizukoshi E, Nascimbeni M, Blaustein JB, Mihalik K, Rice CM, Liang TJ, Feinstone SM, Rehermann B. Molecular and immunological significance of chimpanzee major histocompatibility complex haplotypes for hepatitis C virus immune response and vaccination studies. J Virol (76): 6093-103, 2002. [Full Text/Abstract]

Major ME, Mihalik K, Puig M, Rehermann B, Nascimbeni M, Rice CM, Feinstone SM. Previously infected and recovered chimpanzees exhibit rapid responses that control hepatitis C virus replication upon rechallenge. J Virol (76): 6586-95, 2002. [Full Text/Abstract]

Wedemeyer H, Mizukoshi E, Davis AR, Bennink JR, Rehermann B. Cross-reactivity between hepatitis C virus and Influenza A virus determinant-specific cytotoxic T cells. J Virol (75): 11392-400, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Wedemeyer H, Mizukoshi E, Davis AR, Bennink JR, Rehermann B. Cross-reactivity between hepatitis C virus and Influenza A virus determinant-specific cytotoxic T cells. J Virol (75): 11392-400, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

He XS, Rehermann B, Boisvert J Mumm J, Maecker HAT, Roederer M, Wright TL, Maino VC, Davis MM, Greenberg HB. Direct functional analysis of epitope-specific CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood. Viral Immunol (14): 59-69, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Thomson M, Nascimbeni M, Gonzales S, Murthy KK, Rehermann B, Liang TJ .Emergence of a distinct pattern of viral mutations in chimpanzees infected with a homogeneous inoculum of hepatitis C virus. Gastroenterology (121): 1226-33, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Satoi J, Murata K, Lechmann M, Manickan E, Zhang Z, Wedemeyer H, Rehermann B, Liang TJ. Genetic immunization of wild-type and hepatitis C virus transgenic mice reveals a hierarchy of cellular immune response and tolerance induction against hepatitis C virus structural proteins. J Virol (75): 12121-7, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Mizukoshi E, Rehermann B. Immune responses and immunity in hepatitis C virus infection. J Gastroenterol (36): 799-808, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Neuman MG Brenner DA Rehermann B Taieb J Chollet-Martin S Cohard M Garaud JJ Poynard, T Katz GG, Cameron RG, Shear NH, Gao B, Takamatsu M, Yamauchi M, Ohata M, Saito S, Maeyama S, Uchikoshi T, Toda G, Kumagi T, Akbar SM, Abe M, Michitaka K, Horiike N, Onji M. Mechanisms of alcoholic liver disease: cytokines. Alcohol Clin Exp Res (25): 251S-253S, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Wedemeyer H, Gagneten S, Davis A, Bartenschlager R, Feinstone S, Rehermann B. Oral immunization with HCV-NS3-transformed Salmonella: induction of HCV-specific CTL in a transgenic mouse model. Gastroenterology (121): 1158-66, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Wedemeyer H, Gagneten S, Davis A, Bartenschlager R, Feinstone S, Rehermann B. Oral immunization with HCV-NS3-transformed Salmonella: induction of HCV-specific CTL in a transgenic mouse model. Gastroenterology (121): 1158-66, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Rehermann B, Chisari FV. Cell mediated immune response to the hepatitis C virus. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol (242): 299-325, 2000. [Full Text/Abstract]

Takaki A, Wiese M,Maertens G, Depla E, Seifert U, Liebetrau A, Miller JL, Manns MP, Rehermann B. Cellular immune responses persist and humoral responses decrease two decades after recovery from a single-source outbreak of hepatitis C. Nat Med (6): 578-82, 2000. [Full Text/Abstract]

Sijts AJ, Ruppert T, Rehermann B, Schmidt M, Koszinowski U, Kloetzel PM. Efficient generation of a hepatitis B virus cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitope requires the structural features of immunoproteasomes. J Exp Med (191): 503-14, 2000. [Full Text/Abstract]

Rehermann B. Interaction between the hepatitis C virus and the immune system. Semin Liver Dis (20): 127-41, 2000. [Full Text/Abstract]

Rehermann B Intrahepatic T cells in hepatitis B: viral control versus liver cell injury. J Exp Med (191): 1263-8, 2000. [Full Text/Abstract]

Liang TJ, Rehermann B, Seeff LB, Hoofnagle JH. Pathogenesis, natural history, treatment, and prevention of hepatitis C. Ann Intern Med (132): 296-305, 2000. [Full Text/Abstract]




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Page last updated: February 16, 2012

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