Recognized Excellence of Division Trainees and Faculty

The Division of Allergy and Immunology is proud of the excellence of its undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral and clinical trainees and junior investigators. Several received recognition for their achievements throughout the year, including:

• Selected as a Pratt Lecture Winner, Katharine Guarnieri, MD, third-year resident and soon-to-be Allergy/Immunology fellow, received mentoring in research by Kimberly A. Risma, MD, PhD. Katharine presented her oral abstract “Characterization of amoxicillin-associated reactions presenting to the emergency department” at Cincinnati Children’s Pediatric Grand Rounds in early June 2019.
• Chen Rosenberg, a T32-funded Allergy/Immunology fellow, contributed three manuscripts to the literature under the mentorship of Dr. Rothenberg and Patricia C. Fulkerson, MD, PhD. He accepted a position at Massachusetts General Hospital.
• Justin Schwartz, MD, PhD, a T32-funded Allergy/Immunology fellow, contributed three manuscripts to the literature under the mentorship of Dr. Fulkerson. He accepted an assistant professorship at Cincinnati Children’s for fiscal year 2020.
• Nurit Azouz, a research fellow in the Rothenberg Lab, won an International Eosinophil Society Travel Grant Award to attend and present at the International Eosinophil Society 2019 Biennial Symposium. Nurit presented her abstract “Functional role of kallikrein 5 and proteinase activated receptor 2 in eosinophilic esophagitis".
• Tetsuo Shoda, a research fellow in the Rothenberg Lab, won an International Eosinophil Society Travel Grant Award to attend and present at the International Eosinophil Society 2019 Biennial Symposium. Tetsuo presented his poster “Molecular, endoscopic, histological and circulating biomarker-based diagnosis of eosinophilic gastritis: cross sectional multi-site study".
• Assistant Professor Ting Wen, MD, PhD received an award for GAP funding to investigate the roles of FFAR3 in Th2 cytokine production by esophageal lymphocytes, and a University of Cincinnati CCTST Pilot and Innovation Core Grant to define the role of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP)-lymphocyte interaction in eosinophilic esophagitis in his lab.

Thomas J. Fischer Endowed Education Fund Established

The Thomas J. Fischer Endowed Education fund provides educational opportunities for current and future generations of clinicians and researchers entering the field of allergy and immunology. This named endowment is an enduring investment in the future that sustains the commitment of Thomas J. Fischer, MD, to educational opportunities and the future of the field. The purpose of the endowment is to enhance the Allergy/Immunology Fellowship Program. Endowments provide continuity of funding and help attract distinguished faculty, as well as the best and brightest fellows, residents, and students. Throughout his more than forty years of distinguished service to Cincinnati Children’s, Dr. Fischer embodied the rich tradition of excellence within the Division of Allergy and Immunology. A student of some of the most regarded pediatric allergists of their time: Dr. Joseph Ghory and Dr. Robert Ausdenmoore of Cincinnati Children’s, as well as pediatric immunologist Dr. E. Richard Stiehm of UCLA, Dr. Fischer became the first full-time member of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at Cincinnati Children’s in 1977 and served as its director from 1979-1992. Throughout his career, Dr. Fischer invested in students entering the medical profession by serving as a mentor to countless fellows, residents, and medical students. Because of the investments he made to his students, these individuals are now found at the top of their professions across the country, serving their communities and carrying on his legacy.

Epicutaneous Immunotherapy for Peanut Allergy in Children

There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for peanut allergy despite its prevalence in the United States and other industrialized countries. Numbers continue to be on the rise and account for the majority of deaths related to food allergy. The Peanut Epicutaneous Immunotherapy Efficacy and Safety (PEPITES) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of peanut epicutaneous immunotherapy with Viaskin Peanut (250 mcg) to induce desensitization to peanut in children with peanut allergy. Director of the Food Allergy Program at Cincinnati Children's, Amal H. Assa'ad, MD, contributed to this critical, collaborative work, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (impact factor 47.66). The epicutaneous immunotherapy induced a statistically significant response compared with placebo in children with peanut allergy. However, the study did not meet a component of the primary outcome, necessitating further studies to determine the clinical relevance of this treatment for children with peanut allergy. These findings will guide further study design and progression toward FDA-approved treatments for peanut allergy. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02636699)

Monoclonal Antibody Against IL-13 Reduces Measures of Disease Activity of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic, esophageal, type 2 inflammatory response associated with increased serum levels of interleukin 13 (IL-13), which might contribute to its pathogenesis. A new drug, RPC4046, is effective for treating eosinophilic esophagitis. RPC4046, a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody against IL-13, prevents its binding to the receptor subunits IL-13Rα1 and IL-13Rα2. This study, reported in Gastroenterology, demonstrated through a phase 2 trial that the drug can block eosinophilia in the esophagu, and block other important aspects of the disease-it reduced histologic and endoscopic features compared with a placebo. This national, collaborative trial is a culminating step in a series of work that Dr. Rothenberg conducted in the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders at Cincinnati Children’s for the last 12 years. It brings us closer to improving the care for individuals suffering from this debilitating disease. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02098473)

New Model of Heart Disease in Hypereosinophilia

Characterization of hypereosinophilic syndrome is by sustained and marked eosinophilia leading to tissue damage and organ dysfunction. Morbidity and mortality occur primarily due to cardiac and thromboembolic complications. Understanding the cause and mechanism of disease would aid in the development of targeted therapies with greater efficacy and fewer side effects. To further this understanding, Nives Zimmermann, MD, with collaborator Daniel R. Prows, PhD, in the Division of Human Genetics, generated and characterized a new model of heart disease in hypereosinophilia (American Journal of Physiology Heart and Circulatory Physiology). This model mimics human disease closely and thus provides an opportunity to test mechanistic hypotheses and develop targeted therapies for this rare disease.

Sustainability of Desensitization of Multifood Oral Immunotherapy

Limited data is available on the sustainability of desensitization of multifood-oral immunotherapy. Director of the Food Allergy Program at Cincinnati Children's, Dr. Assa'ad was an essential contributor to a multisite study of multifood oral immunotherapy investigating the comparative efficacy of successful desensitization with sustained dosing vs. discontinued dosing after multifood oral immunotherapy. The results, published in The Lancet, suggest that sustained desensitization after omalizumab (an anti-IgE antibody)–facilitated multifood oral immunotherapy occurs through continued maintenance of oral immunotherapy. The sustainability of desensitization protocols is an active area of research and yield important information for future therapeutic development and treatment management. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02626611)

Division Director Received Paul Ehrlich Lectureship Award

Congratulations to Marc E. Rothenberg, MD, PhD, for receiving the Paul Ehrlich Lectureship Award of the International Eosinophil Society (IES) for 2019. Dr. Rothenberg is the principal investigator for the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR) of the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN). The Paul Ehrlich Lectureship Award is the highest honor bestowed by the International Eosinophil Society to an individual who makes major contributions to the advancement of our understanding of the eosinophil. The basis of the selection of Dr. Rothenberg was on his outstanding, prolific, high-quality and broad research achievements that substantially advanced the knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms governing the eosinophil in health and disease. Dr. Rothenberg’s research focuses on molecular analysis of allergic inflammation, primarily on the molecular pathogenesis of eosinophilic esophagitis. His laboratory takes a multi-disciplinary approach including the development of preclinical murine models: genetics, genomics, molecular immunology, and biochemistry. His laboratory has several broad research areas and objectives, including the epigenetic basis of allergic disease and responses, genetic basis of allergic disease, immunopathogenesis of allergic inflammation, impaired barrier function, pathogenesis of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders, precision and predictive medicine, and proteases and protease inhibitors in inflammation. Nationally, Dr. Rothenberg leads CEGIR, which represents pediatric and adult multidisciplinary research institutions from across the country who seek to determine the natural history of the rare eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs), identify innovative diagnostics and novel treatments, and train the next generation of investigators in this field. EGIDs are chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases that affect children and adults, causing common gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and swallowing difficulties. Treatments limitations are set elimination of potentially allergenic foods and steroids. In its fifth year, CEGIR received recognition by various sources for its amazing patient advocacy efforts, teamwork, and structure. CEGIR is the first large-scale collaboration between key stakeholders in the field of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders, including researchers, patients and the key funding agency, the NIH. CEGIR dedicates itself to improving the lives of individuals with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders through innovative research, clinical expertise and education via collaborations between scientists, health care providers, patients, and professional organizations.

Division Staff Honored by Professional Society

Kevin Titus, the business director for the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Cincinnati Children’s, received an honor from the Society of Research Administrators International (SRA International) at its 2018 annual meeting in Orlando, FL. Kevin became a member of the Society’s Distinguished Faculty. SRA International Distinguished Faculty members serve the society as expert consultants and speakers who develop and present educational and professional development programs, or as program review consultants. They serve universities, hospitals, not-for-profit research organizations, industry, and government research laboratories in many capacities. These may include, but are not limited to: instructing for-credit educational courses or programs; consulting to conduct external, periodic and professional reviews of research administration organization, capacity and processes; and mentoring individual members or institutional units. Kevin received an appointment to the SRA International Board of Directors for a one-year term, representing SRA Sections. SRA International is the premier global research management society providing education, professional development and the latest comprehensive information about research management to over 5,000 members from over 40 countries. Its mission is to develop, define and promote international best practices in research management, administration, knowledge transfer and growth of the research enterprise. “We’re glad to have Kevin as our business director and are proud that he is receiving honors for sharing his research leadership knowledge with others,” says Dr. Rothenberg, director of the Division of Allergy and Immunology.