Research Interests: 
Dr. Garafalo’s lab is generally focused on the macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1a), a chemokine produced by virally infected lungs. MIP-1a has potent activities on natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) that may function as a bridge between innate and adaptive immune responses to RSV infection. His lab seeks to 1) understand the contribution of MIP-1a in RSV-induced lung infection, 2) the role of MIP-1a in the migration and activation of NK cell-driven CTL responses in RSV infection, 3) to identify candidate proteins associated with the virus-induced airway pathology controlled by MIP-1, and 4) to determine with the use of high resolution proteomics whether and how mucosal protein patterns discriminate infants with different forms of illness.

Selected Publications: 

1. Haeberle, H., Nesti, F., Dieterich, H., Gatalica, Z., Garofalo, R.P. Perflubron reduces lung inflammation in respiratory syncytial virus infection by inhibiting chemokine expression and NF-kB activation. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2002; 165:1433-1438 
2. Jartti, T., van den Hoogen, B., Garofalo, R.P., Osterhaus, A. DME, Ruuskanen, O. New human metapneumovirus and acute wheezing in children. The Lancet 2002;360:1393-1394 
3. Welliver, R.C., Garofalo, R.P., Ogra., P.L. Beta-chemokines, but neither T helper type 1 nor T helper type 2 cytokines, correlate with severity of illness during respiratory syncytial virus infection. Ped Infect Dis J 2002;21:457-461. 
4. Haeberle, H., Takizawa, R., Casola, A., Brasier, A.R., Hans-Juergen D., van Rooijen, R., Gatalica, Z., Garofalo, R.P. Respiratory syncytial virus-induced activation of NF-kB in the lung involves alveolar macrophages and Toll-like receptor 4-dependent pathways. J Infect Dis. 2002;186:1199-1206 
5. Haeberle, H., Casola, A., Gatalica, Z., Petronella S., Dieterich, H.-J., Ernst, P.B., Brasier, A.R., Garofalo, R.P. The IkB kinase is a critical regulator of chemokine expression and lung inflammation in respiratory syncytial virus infection. J Virol 2004;78:2232-41 
6. Garofalo R.P., Hintz K.H., Hill V., Ogra P.L., Welliver R.C. Production of interferon gamma in respiratory syncytial virus infection of humans is not associated with interleukins 12 and 18. J Med. Virol 2004;73:289-294 
7. Liu T, Castro S, Jamaluddin M, Brasier AR, Garofalo RP and Casola A. ROS mediate viral-induced Stat activation: role of tyrosine phosphatases. J Biol Chem 2004;279:2461-69 
8. Brasier AR, Spratt H, Wu Z, Boldogh I, Zhang Y, Garofalo RP, Casola A, Pashmi J, Haag A, Luxon B and A Kurosky. Nuclear Heat Shock Response and Novel Nuclear Domain 10 Reorganization in Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Infected A549 Cells Identified By High Resolution 2D Gel Electrophoresis. J Virol 2004; 78:11461-11476. 
9. Garofalo R.P., Hintz K.H., Hill V., Patti J., Ogra P.L., Welliver R.C. A comparison of epidemiologic and immunologic features of bronchiolitis caused by influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus. J Med. Virol in press.