Jean C. Pfau , Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
(208) 282-3914
Room 207 Gale Life Sciences Building
Immunotoxicology Laboratory
Environmental autoimmunity, inhalation toxicology, silica/asbestos
Systemic Autoimmune Disease
Education
B.A. Zoology, University of Montana, Missoula MT, 1978
Ph.D. Microbiology/Biochemistry, University of Montana, 1998
Postdoctoral, International Heart Institute, Missoula MT, 2000
Postdoctoral fellow, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula MT, 2002
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Pfau joined the faculty in Biological Sciences at Idaho State University in the fall of 2008. Her experience and training have given her a broad background in cell biology, physiology, and specifically in mammalian immunology and the diseases that develop when immune responses are abnormal.
Our lab focuses on autoimmune responses, which is when our immune system causes or contributes to tissue damage, leading to autoimmune diseases. Systemic autoimmune diseases appear to be increasing in prevalence worldwide, and one possibility is that this is being driven by environmental exposures, in concert with genetic factors. It is well known that silica exposure is associated with increased risk of systemic autoimmune diseases such as lupus, scleroderma, and rheumatoid arthritis, but much less is known about autoimmune responses with asbestos exposure. The asbestos exposures that occurred in Libby MT due to vermiculite mining has provided us with an opportunity to explore that association and the cellular/molecular mechanisms that drive autoimmunity and subsequent pathologies. We hypothesize that the molecular structure or intracellular localization of autoantigens is modified through oxidative or apoptotic processes, improperly exposing them to the immune system and inducing production of autoantibodies to those antigens. Possible outcomes of the autoantibodies are a) systemic autoimmune diseases, or b) worsening of the lung damage leading to fibrosis and pleural disease. We are also trying to discover exactly what the targets are for those autoantibodies, and how they might modify cellular function to exacerbate tissue damage. Such discoveries could lead us to novel treatments for these devastating diseases.
Teaching
BIOL 301 /302 Anatomy & Physiology
BIOL 106 (UM) Elementary Medical Microbiology
BMED 644 (UM): Fundamentals of Immunotoxicology (Co-Instructor)
BMED 643 (UM): Cell/Molecular Toxicology, Signal Transduction (Co-Instructor)
Publications
(selected publications; underline denotes student authors)
Blake, D.J ., S.A. Wetzel, J.C. Pfau. 2008. Autoantibodies from mice exposed to Libby amphibole asbestos bind SSA/Ro52-enriched apoptotic blebs of murine macrophages. Toxicology 246(2-3):172-179.
Pfau, J.C ., J.J. Sentissi, D.J. Blake, S. Li, L. Calderon-Garciduenas, J.M. Brown. 2008. Asbestos-induced autoimmunity in C57Bl/6 mice. Jrnl Immunotoxicol 5(2):129-137.
Blake, D.J., C. Bolin , F. Cardozo-Pelaez, J.C. Pfau. 2007. NADPH Oxidase contributes to the production of ROS in murine macrophages in response to Libby asbestos exposure. Tox Sci ; 99(1):277-288.
Pfau, J.C ., M.A. Pershouse, E.A. Putnam. 2006. Conference Summary: Directions and Needs in Asbestos Research: New Insights. Inhalation Toxicology 18(12):919-923.
Noonan, C.W., J.C. Pfau, T.C. Larson, M.R. Spence. 2006. Nested case-control study of autoimmune disease in an asbestos exposed population. Environ Health Perspectives 114(8):1243-1247.
Brown, J.M ., C.M. Schwanke, M.A. Pershouse, J.C. Pfau, A. Holian. 2005. Effects of rottlerin on silica- exacerbated systemic autoimmune disease in New Zealand Mixed mice. Am J Physiol: Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 289(6):L990-8, Epub July 22, 2005.
Pfau, J.C ., J.J. Sentissi, G. Weller, and E.A. Putnam. 2005. Assessment of Autoimmune Responses Associated with Asbestos Exposure in Libby MT. Environ Health Perspectives 113(1):25-30.
Brown, J.M., J.C. Pfau, M.A. Pershouse, A. Holian. 2004. Silica, apoptosis, and autoimmunity. (Review article) J. Immunotoxicology. 1:177-188.
Brown, J.M ., J.C. Pfau, and A. Holian. 2004. Immunoglobulin and lymphocyte responses following silica exposure in New Zealand Mixed mice. Inhalation Toxicology 16(3):133-9.
Pfau, J.C., J.C. Schneider , A.J. Archer, J. Reeves , F.J. Leyva, J. Cramton. 2004. Environmental oxygen tension affects phenotype in cultured bone marrow derived macrophages. Am J Physiol: Lung Cell Mol Physiol.286(2):L354-62.
Pfau, J.C ., J.M. Brown , and A. Holian. 2004. Silica-exposed mice generate autoantibodies to apoptotic cells. Toxicology 195(2-3):167-76.
Brown, J.M , A.J. Archer, J.C. Pfau, and A. Holian. 2003. Silica accelerated systemic autoimmune disease in New Zealand Mixed mice. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Immunology 131 :415-421.