Dan R. Littman, M.D., Ph.D.
Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Professor of Molecular Immunology and Professor of Pathology and Microbiology
Program in Molecular Pathogenesis, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Immunology / T cell development; mechanisms of inflammation; AIDS pathogenesis
littman@saturn.med.nyu.edu, (212) 263 7579 , (212) 263 7520
Fax: (212) 263 1498
540 First Avenue, SKI 2nd Floor Lab 17, New York, NY 10016
Research and Clinical Interests
(1) Transcriptional regulation of differentiation of T lymphocytes into distinct functional subsets with diverse effector functions; (2) Signaling networks maintaining homeostasis of the immune system with commensal microflora; (3) Mechanisms of HIV entry and HIV pathogenesis, with emphasis on developing murine models for HIV disease.
Selected Publications
Egawa T, Tillman RE, Naoe Y, Taniuchi I, Littman DR. The role of the Runx transcription factors in thymocyte differentiation and in homeostasis of naive T cells. J Exp Med. 2007 Aug 6;204(8):1945-57. Epub 2007 Jul 23. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 17646406.
Zhou L, Ivanov II, Spolski R, Min R, Shenderov K, Egawa T, Levy DE, Leonard WJ, Littman DR. IL-6 programs Th17 cell differentiation by promoting the sequential engagement of the IL-21 and IL-23 pathways. Nat Immunol. 2007;8:967–74. Epub 2007 Jun 20. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 17581537.
Ivanov II, McKenzie BS, Zhou L, Tadokoro CE, Lepelley A, Lafaille JJ, Cua DJ, Littman DR. The orphan nuclear receptor RORgammat directs the differentiation program of proinflammatory IL-17+ T helper cells. Cell. 2006 Sep 22;126(6):1121-33. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 16990136.
Egawa T, Eberl G, Taniuchi I, Benlagha K, Geissmann F, Hennighausen L, Bendelac A, Littman DR. Genetic evidence supporting selection of the Valpha14i NKT cell lineage from double-positive thymocyte precursors. Immunity. 2005 Jun;22(6):705-16. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 15963785.
Geissmann F, Cameron TO, Sidobre S, Manlongat N, Kronenberg M, Briskin MJ, Dustin ML, Littman DR. Intravascular immune surveillance by CXCR6+ NKT cells patrolling liver sinusoids. PLoS Biol. 2005 Apr;3(4):e113. Epub 2005 Apr 5. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 15799695.
Niess JH, Brand S, Gu X, Landsman L, Jung S, McCormick BA, Vyas JM, Boes M, Ploegh HL, Fox JG, Littman DR, Reinecker HC. CX3CR1-mediated dendritic cell access to the intestinal lumen and bacterial clearance. Science. 2005 Jan 14;307(5707):254-8. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 15653504.
Eberl G, Littman DR. Thymic origin of intestinal alphabeta T cells revealed by fate mapping of RORgammat+ cells. Science. 2004 Jul 9;305(5681):248-51. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 15247480.
Eberl G, Marmon S, Sunshine MJ, Rennert PD, Choi Y, Littman DR. An essential function for the nuclear receptor RORgamma(t) in the generation of fetal lymphoid tissue inducer cells. Nat Immunol. 2004 Jan;5(1):64-73. Epub 2003 Dec 21. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 14691482.
Geissmann F, Jung S, Littman DR. Blood monocytes consist of two principal subsets with distinct migratory properties. Immunity. 2003 Jul;19(1):71-82. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 12871640.
Taniuchi I, Osato M, Egawa T, Sunshine MJ, Bae SC, Komori T, Ito Y, Littman DR. Differential requirements for Runx proteins in CD4 repression and epigenetic silencing during T lymphocyte development. Cell. 2002 Nov 27;111(5):621-33. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 12464175.
Taniuchi I, Sunshine MJ, Festenstein R, Littman DR. Evidence for distinct CD4 silencer functions at different stages of thymocyte differentiation. Mol Cell. 2002 Nov;10(5):1083-96. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 12453416.
Jung S, Unutmaz D, Wong P, Sano G, De los Santos K, Sparwasser T, Wu S, Vuthoori S, Ko K, Zavala F, Pamer EG, Littman DR, Lang RA. In vivo depletion of CD11c(+) dendritic cells abrogates priming of CD8(+) T cells by exogenous cell-associated antigens. Immunity. 2002 Aug;17(2):211-20. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 12196292.
Kwon DS, Gregorio G, Bitton N, Hendrickson WA, Littman DR. DC-SIGN-mediated internalization of HIV is required for trans-enhancement of T cell infection. Immunity. 2002 Jan;16(1):135-44. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 11825572.
Sun Z, Unutmaz D, Zou YR, Sunshine MJ, Pierani A, Brenner-Morton S, Mebius RE, Littman DR. Requirement for RORgamma in thymocyte survival and lymphoid organ development. Science. 2000 Jun 30;288(5475):2369-73. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 10875923.
Sun Z, Arendt CW, Ellmeier W, Schaeffer EM, Sunshine MJ, Gandhi L, Annes J,. PKC-theta is required for TCR-induced NF-kappaB activation in mature but not immature T lymphocytes. Nature. 2000 Mar 23;404(6776):402-7. Cited in Pubmed; PMID 10746729.
Selected Reviews
Ivanov II, Diehl GE, Littman DR. Lymphoid tissue inducer cells in intestinal immunity. In: Gut-associated lymphoid tissues. Curr Top Micro Immunol. 2006;308:59-82.
Taniuchi I, Ellmeier W, Littman DR. The CD4/CD8 Lineage Choice: New insights into epigenetic regulation during T cell development. Adv Immunol. 2004;83:55-89.
Ellmeier W, Sawada S, Littman DR. The regulation of CD4 and CD8 coreceptor gene expression during T cell development. Ann Rev Immunol. 1999;17:523-54.
Organizational Associations
Elected Member, Association of American Physicians, 1999; Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2003; Member, National Academy of Sciences, 2004; Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, 2004
Selected Awards
Alpha Omega Alpha, 1980
Alexander Berg Prize in Microbiology and Immunology, Washington Univ., 1980
Diplomate, National Board of Medical Examiners, 1981
Jane Coffin Childs Fellowship, 1981
Searle Scholar Award, Chicago Community Trust, 1986
Michael Heidelberger Lecture, New York University, 1995
Bio-Mega/Boehringer Ingelheim Lecture, University of Montreal, 1997
NIH MERIT Award, 1997
Guru, NIH Immunology Interest Group Retreat, 1999
NIH Director's Lecture, 2002
New York City Mayor's Award for Excellence in Science and Technology, 2004
Blumenthal Memorial Lecture, University of Minnesota, 2006
Bob Smith Lecture, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 2006
Stephen Max Memorial Lecture, University of Maryland, 2007
Beirne B. Carter Lecture in Immunology, University of Virginia, 2007
