This is an exciting time for the department as it is in the process of undergoing major advances in terms of expanding new faculty and facilities.  The department currently consists of highly committed, 20 full-time and 19 affiliated faculty.   Our faculty are actively involved in providing outstanding training to medical students, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.  The department provides a highly interactive environment conducive of intra- and inter-departmental collaborations as well as with investigators at other institutions on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research projects. The research programs are well-funded by extramural grant support that have resulted in high-quality publications in national and international journals as well as presentations at scientific conferences.  The faculty are recognized leaders in their fields as evidenced by their appointment to national and international grant-review committees, offices in scientific societies, as well as government-appointed and scientific editorial boards.  The main mission of our department is to provide education and research mentorship in the areas of pathology, microbiology and immunology that will lead to development of trainees into independent scientists in academia capable of training future generations, in industry pursuing applied research, in hospitals providing community service, in government institutions involved in policy decision-making and in biotechnology institutes performing cutting-edge research.  The department offers state-of-the-art facilities including Flow Cytometry, Cell Sorter, Gene Microarray and Oligonucleotide Synthesis and Analysis Cores.  Our department faculty direct the South Carolina Cancer Tissue Bank for studies on gene expression. In addition, other shared resources are available at the School of Medicine which include electron and confocal microscopy, laser capture microdissection, mass spectrometry, whole animal imaging, library and AAALAC-accredited animal facilities. 

TEACHING

The faculty are primarily involved in providing didactic instruction for medical students and graduate students. 

Courses offered:

Medical Training:

• Microbiology
• Pathology

Graduate Training:

• Cell Biology
• Neoplasia
• Pathology I
• Pathology II
• Topics in Pathobiology
• Pathology Seminar
• Disease Mechanisms
• Comprehensive Microbiology
• Special Topics in Microbiology and Immunology
• Structure-Function Nucleic Acids
• Biological Chemistry
• Intermediary Metabolism
• Medical Bacteriology
• Advanced Immunology
• Advanced Molecular Biology
• Molecular Methods
• Interdisciplinary Lab

RESEARCH

The main research focus areas of the faculty in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology are as follows.

• CANCER

• Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer

Cervical Cancer – Role of TGFbeta/EGF receptors in cancer progression (Creek, Pirisi-Creek)

Colon Colon – Molecular mechanisms underlying antioxidant properties of green tea in cancer prevention and therapy; gene expression signatures in carcinogenesis; role of lipids in growth regulation (Wargovich, Buckhaults, Muga)

• Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy

Interleukin-2 treatment of Melanoma (Nagarkatti, M., Nagarkatti, P, McKallip)

Byostatin-treated dendritic cells in cancer therapy (Nagarkatti, P. Nagarkatti M)

• Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Use of tea, gingko, ginseng for colon cancer (Wargovich)

Cannabinoids in the treatment of lymphoma (Nagarkatti, P., Nagarkatti, M., McKallip)

Dietary Supplements such as muscadine grapes, curcumin and goldenseal, as well as exercise as immune potentiators (Mayer)

Resveratrol as an anti-inflammatory agent (Nagarkatti, P., Nagarkatti, M., Singh)

• BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL DEFENSE

Vaccine development against anthrax (Fox, A, Fox, K)

Staphylococcal enterotoxin-induced organ toxicity (Nagarkatti, M; Nagarkatti, P.; McKallip)

Dioxin-mediated T cell dysfunction (Nagarkatti, P; Nagarkatti, M., Singh)

• VISION RESEARCH

Retinal Pigment cells in Age-related Macular Degeneration and Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy (Hunt, M., Hunt, R.)

Neovascularization in glaucoma (Tripathi)

Proteomic approach to studies on anterior uveitis mediated by muramyl peptides (Fox, A; Fox, K.)

• DRUGS OF ABUSE

Cannabinoid-induced immunosuppression and breast cancer (McKallip)

Use of cannabinoids in prevention/treatment of autoimmune diseases (Nagarkatti, P., Nagarkatti, M.)

• GENE REGULATION

Alternative Splicing (Patton)

Papilloma oncoproteins (Creek, Pirisi-Creek)

Loss of heterozygosity and tumor suppressor genes (Buckhaults)

Arachidonic acid metabolites in carcinogenesis (Muga) 

For more information, please contact the Department at (803)733-3275 or e-mail smartin@uscmed.sc.edu