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Richard Coico, PhD

Professor, Microbiology and Immunology

Senior Associate Dean for Research

Telephone:  215-707-4605

Fax:  215-707-5149

Email: rcoico@temple.edu

Department of Microbiology and Immunology

New York University School of Medicine, PhD

 

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The physiology of immunoglobulin D (IgD) in the immune system remains elusive. IgD is a transmembrane Ig co-expressed with IgM on B lymphocytes. In contract with IgM and other Ig isotypes (e.g., IgG, IgA), IgD is down-regulated following B-cell activation rendering these cells IgD-negative. IgD is secreted by some activated B cells only in minute quantities (hence, serum levels are typically in the microgram/ml level). Dr. Coico’s laboratory seeks to understand both the physiologic role(s) played by IgD and, in particular, whether it plays a major role in the development of autoimmune diseases. Using an IgD-knockout mouse strain, his lab is investigating whether the absence of IgD on B cells: (a) impacts the ability of B cells to respond to normal activation signals that lead to T cell activation and antibody responses, and (b) predisposes mice to autoimmunity using a myosin-induced autoimmune myocarditis model.

A second area of investigation underway in Dr. Coico’s laboratory uses to help us identify candidate vaccines for a wide variety of pathogens play an important role in defining epitopes that have the potential to be immunogenic. The major research interest of Dr. Coico’s laboratory is the identification of candidate vaccines for several hemorrhagic viruses, including Lassa Fever Virus. Lassa virus causes a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic disease. Lassa fever is endemic in rural Africa and has been estimated to cause more than 300,000 infections/year. There are currently no vaccines to protect individuals from this infection. Using computational methods together with bioinformatics tools, Dr. Coico’s group recently identified immunogenic Lassa virus peptides (epitopes) that may serve as candidate vaccine components. These peptides occur within the Lassa virus glycoprotein and, when synthesized and used to immunize mice expressing human MHC antigens, they induce peptide-specific cytotoxic T cells. Cytotoxic T cells are crucial for protective immune responses to viruses. These findings provide direct evidence for the existence of Lassa virus-derived epitopes that may be useful in the development of protective vaccines against this hemorrhagic virus. Similar studies have been successfully carried out using computationally identified Ebola virus epitopes.

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RF Coico and G Sunshine. Immunology: A Short Course, 6th Edition, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ; (2009).

S Gottesman and W Strober. Immunology: Clinical Cases, Editors: R.F. Coico and G. Sunshine. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ; (2009).

RF Coico and G Lunn. Biosafety Guidelines for Working with Pathogens and Infectious Microorganisms. In: Current Protocols in Microbiology 2008, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ.

RF Coico, G Sunshine, and E Benjamini. Immunology: A Short Course, 5th Edition John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ; 2003.

E Benjamini, RF Coico, and G Sunshine. Immunology: A Short Course, 4th Edition, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ; 2000.

RF Coico. Method for Gram Staining. In: Current Protocols in Immunology, Vol. 3, Ed. J. Coligan et al., John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Hoboken, NJ; 1997.

RF Coico and A. Amin. Purification of human and murine immunoglobulin D (IgD). In: Current Protocols in Immunology, Ed. D. Margulies, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Hoboken, NJ; 1997.

RF Coico. ELISPOT Assay for Measurement of Antigen-Specific and Polyclonal Antibody Responses. In: Current Protocols in Immunology, Vol. 2, pp 7.14.1-7.14.7. Ed. J. Coligan et. al., John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Hoboken, NJ; 1996.

L Staiano-Coico and RF Coico. Applications of Flow Cytometry and Sorting in Molecular Biology and Genetics. In: Recombinant DNA Technology. Concepts and Biomedical Applications. Ed. M. Steinberg, Prentice Hall Inc., NJ; 1993.

RF Coico, S Swenson, GW Siskind and GJ Thorbecke. Impact of IgD receptor-positive T cells on the immune response. In: Histophysiology of the immune system: The life history, organization, and interaction of its cell populations. Ed. S. Fossum, Plenum Press, New York; 1988.

RF Coico, SRS Gottesman, GW Siskind and GJ Thorbecke. Deficient expression of receptors for IgD on T cells of aged mice. In: Topics in Aging Research Vol. 9 EURAGE, Rijswijk, The Netherlands; 1986.

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Recent Medically Related Publications, Obtained from PubMed (Click on PubMed ID to view abstract)

14725319. Steinbach WJ, Mitchell TG, Schell WA, Espinel-Ingroff A, Coico RF, Walsh TJ, Perfect JR, Status of medical mycology education. Med Mycol 41:6(457-67)2003 Dec

12773509. Tamma SM, Coico RF, IgD-receptor (IgD-R) cross-linking partially protects murine T cells from dexamethasone-induced apoptosis. J Leukoc Biol 73:6(764-70)2003 Jun

11243700. Lakshmi Tamma SM, Wu Y, Toporovsky I, Lima V, Coico RF, IgD receptor-mediated signal transduction in T cells. Cell Immunol 207:2(110-7)2001 Feb 1

9710214. Swenson CD, Patel T, Parekh RB, Tamma SM, Coico RF, Thorbecke GJ, Amin AR, Human T cell IgD receptors react with O-glycans on both human IgD and IgA1. Eur J Immunol 28:8(2366-72)1998 Aug

8607867. Tamma SL, Sundaram SK, Lev M, Coico RF, Inhibition of sphingolipid synthesis down-modulates CD4 expression by peripheral blood T lymphocytes and T lymphoma cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 220:3(916-21)1996 Mar 27

8599833. Yang YJ, Coico RF, In vitro enhancement of antibody responses by T delta cells expressing IgD receptors. Cell Immunol 168:1(107-16)1996 Feb 25

8347555. Amin AR, Tamma SM, Swenson CD, Kieda CC, Oppenheim JD, Finkelman FD, Coico RF, The immunoaugmenting properties of murine IgD reside in its C delta 1 and C delta 3 regions: potential role for IgD-associated glycans. Int Immunol 5:6(607-14)1993 Jun

1545118. Tamma SM, Coico RF, IgD-receptor-positive human T lymphocytes. II. Identification and partial characterization of human IgD-binding factor. J Immunol 148:7(2050-7)1992 Apr 1

1924387. Amin AR, Tamma SM, Oppenheim JD, Finkelman FD, Kieda C, Coico RF, Thorbecke GJ, Specificity of the murine IgD receptor on T cells is for N-linked glycans on IgD molecules. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 88:20(9238-42)1991 Oct 15

1833776. Tamma SM, Amin AR, Finkelman FD, Chen YW, Thorbecke GJ, Coico RF, IgD receptors on murine T-helper cells bind to Fd and Fc regions of immunoglobulin D. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 88:20(9233-7)1991 Oct 15

2123222. Coico RF, Tamma SL, Bessler M, Wei CF, Thorbecke GJ, IgD-receptor-positive human T lymphocytes. I. Modulation of receptor expression by oligomeric IgD and lymphokines. J Immunol 145:11(3556-61)1990 Dec 1

2161116. Amin AR, Coico RF, Thorbecke GJ, Characterization and regulation of T-cell IgD receptors and IgD-binding factor. Res Immunol 141:1(94-9; discussion 105-8)1990 Jan

2765098. van Vollenhoven RF, Swenson CD, Soriano A, Goidl EA, Coico RF, Thorbecke GJ, Siskind GW, Serum IgD levels in mice: effect of strain, age and autoimmune disease. J Autoimmun 2:3(259-67)1989 Jun

2973608. Amin AR, Coico RF, Finkelman F, Siskind GW, Thorbecke GJ, Release of IgD-binding factor by T cells under the influence of interleukin 2, interleukin 4, or cross-linked IgD. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 85:23(9179-83)1988 Dec

3058578. Coico RF, Siskind GW, Thorbecke GJ, Role of IgD and T delta cells in the regulation of the humoral immune response. Immunol Rev 105:(45-67)1988 Oct

3257918. Swenson CD, Van Vollenhoven RF, Xue B, Siskind GW, Thorbecke GJ, Coico RF, Physiology of IgD. IX. Effect of IgD on immunoglobulin production in young and old mice. Eur J Immunol 18:1(13-20)1988 Jan

3257569. Coico RF, Finkelman F, Swenson CD, Siskind GW, Thorbecke GJ, Exposure to crosslinked IgD induces receptors for IgD on T cells in vivo and in vitro. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 85:2(559-63)1988 Jan

2978210. Coico RF, Swenson C, Siskind GW, Thorbecke GJ, Impact of IgD receptor-positive T cells on the immune response. Adv Exp Med Biol 237:(861-70)1988

2952722. Coico RF, Gottesman SR, Siskind GW, Thorbecke GJ, Physiology of IgD. VIII. Age-related decline in the capacity to generate T cells with receptors for IgD and partial reversal of the defect with IL 2. J Immunol 138:9(2776-81)1987 May 1

2946779. Coico RF, Berzofsky JA, York-Jolley J, Ozaki S, Siskind GW, Thorbecke GJ, Physiology of IgD. VII. Induction of receptors for IgD on cloned T cells by IgD and interleukin 2. J Immunol 138:1(4-6)1987 Jan 1

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Joanne Manns, PhD

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