Richard Gallo Explained

Richard L. Gallo
Birth Date: December 9, 1958
Birth Place:United States
Known For:Antimicrobial Peptides, Microbiome
Occupation:Professor, Dermatologist

Richard L. Gallo is an American dermatologist who is a Distinguished Professor and founding Chairman of Dermatology at the University of California, San Diego. His research accomplishments as a physician-scientist include discovery of antimicrobial peptides in mammalian skin, establishing new links between innate immunity and skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis and rosacea, and defining the functions of the skin microbiome in host immune defense.

Education

Gallo did his undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago, earned his MD and PhD at the University of Rochester, interned in Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital, was a Dermatology resident at Harvard Medical School and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University under the supervision of Merton Bernfield'

Research

Gallo studies how humans interact with the environment and protect themselves from infection. He discovered that antimicrobial peptides are present in mammalian skin by demonstrating that cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides(Cathelicidins) are present during wound repair.[1] Subsequent work from his laboratory used molecular techniques to produce a knock out mouse that has shown how cathelicidin antimicrobials protect against infection in several organs including the skin.[2] By using a wide variety of biochemical and genetic tools his work has also shown that other antimicrobial peptides and elements of innate immunity such as Toll-like receptors and Hyaluronan influence human health. His work has translated into a new understanding of the cause of rosacea, a finding with immediate therapeutic implications. Most recently his research has defined biochemical mechanisms through which Vitamin D and the normal skin microflora Microbiome can control immune responses. These latest findings have advanced understanding of the Hygiene hypothesis, Atopic Dermatitis and Rosacea. His analysis of the function of the human skin microbiome is leading discovery of new therapeutic approaches to disease by discovering molecules from bacteria on the skin that can be used for drugs.

Several press releases and scientific publications have reported his discoveries.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Awards and honors

Notes and References

  1. Gallo RL, Ono M, Povsic T, Page C, Eriksson E, Klagsbrun M, Bernfield M . Syndecans, cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans, are induced by a proline-rich antimicrobial peptide from wounds . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 91 . 23 . 11035–9 . November 1994 . 7972004 . 45161 . 10.1073/pnas.91.23.11035 . 1994PNAS...9111035G . free .
  2. Nizet V, Ohtake T, Lauth X, Trowbridge J, Rudisill J, Dorschner RA, Pestonjamasp V, Piraino J, Huttner K, Gallo RL . Innate antimicrobial peptide protects the skin from invasive bacterial infection . Nature . 414 . 6862 . 454–7 . November 2001 . 11719807 . 10.1038/35106587 . 2001Natur.414..454N . 4413198 .
  3. Web site: Cause Of Skin Condition Rosacea Discovered . Science Daily . 5 August 2007 . 29 December 2011 .
  4. Web site: Oral Vitamin D May Help Prevent Some Skin Infections . ScienceDaily . October 2008 .
  5. Web site: Dirt can be good for children, say scientist. . November 2009 . BBC News .
  6. Web site: UC Newsroom . Surface bacteria maintains skin's healthy balance . 23 November 2009 . Debra . Kain . vanc . https://web.archive.org/web/20140115061029/http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/22450 . 15 January 2014 . dead .
  7. Ong PY, Ohtake T, Brandt C, Strickland I, Boguniewicz M, Ganz T, Gallo RL, Leung DY . Endogenous antimicrobial peptides and skin infections in atopic dermatitis . The New England Journal of Medicine . 347 . 15 . 1151–60 . October 2002 . 12374875 . 10.1056/NEJMoa021481 . free .
  8. Lai Y, Di Nardo A, Nakatsuji T, Leichtle A, Yang Y, Cogen AL, Wu ZR, Hooper LV, Schmidt RR, von Aulock S, Radek KA, Huang CM, Ryan AF, Gallo RL . Commensal bacteria regulate Toll-like receptor 3-dependent inflammation after skin injury . Nature Medicine . 15 . 12 . 1377–82 . December 2009 . 19966777 . 2880863 . 10.1038/nm.2062 .
  9. Nakatsuji T, Chen TH, Narala S, Chun KA, Two AM, Yun T, Shafiq F, Kotol PF, Bouslimani A, Melnik AV, Latif H, Kim JN, Lockhart A, Artis K, David G, Taylor P, Streib J, Dorrestein PC, Grier A, Gill SR, Zengler K, Hata TR, Leung DY, Gallo RL . Staphylococcus aureusand are deficient in atopic dermatitis . Science Translational Medicine . 9 . 378 . eaah4680 . February 2017 . 28228596 . 5600545 . 10.1126/scitranslmed.aah4680 .
  10. Nakatsuji T, Chen TH, Butcher AM, Trzoss LL, Nam SJ, Shirakawa KT, Zhou W, Oh J, Otto M, Fenical W, Gallo RL . Staphylococcus epidermidisprotects against skin neoplasia . Science Advances . 4 . 2 . eaao4502 . February 2018 . 29507878 . 5834004 . 10.1126/sciadv.aao4502 .
  11. News: National Academy of Medicine Elects 100 New Members . 9 October 2023 . National Academy of Medicine . 9 October 2023.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Richard Gallo".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.