Faculty & Staff

Michael T. Falta, PhD – Instructor

Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology
4200 East Ninth Ave, B164
Denver, CO 80262
Phone: (303) 315 0425
Fax: (303) 315 7642
Michael.Falta@uchsc.edu

Education:
1984-85 University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
1986 BA (Biology) Hamilton College, Clinton, NY
1994 PhD (Cell and Molecular Biology) University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
1994-1998 Postdoctoral Fellow, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, CO
1998-1999 Regular Fellow, Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO
Research Interests:
The primary focus of my research is to identify T cell ligands in sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease of unknown etiology characterized by the accumulation of CD4+ T cells in the lungs and other sites of disease activity. I am interested in determining the antigen-specificity of clonally expanded Vα2.3+ T cells found in the lungs of a subset of patients that express a particular HLA allele (HLA-DRB1*0301). To accomplish this goal, our laboratory is developing a baculovirus MHC-peptide display library expressed on the surface of insect cells. This library will be screened for binding of soluble T cell receptors derived from patients. This approach should allow the definition of mimotopes/epitopes to which T cells (or hybridomas) expressing the T cell receptors have specificity. This information might lead to an understanding of what causes disease and suggest new therapies for treating it.
Recent Publications:
Falta, M.T., A.P. Fontenot, E.F. Rosloniec, F. Crawford, C.L. Roark, J. Bill, P. Marrack, J. Kappler and B.L. Kotzin. MHC class II/peptide tetramer staining in relation to functional avidity and TCR diversity in the mouse CD4+ T cell response to a rheumatoid arthritis associated antigen. Arthritis Rheum. 52:1885-1896. 2005.
Sullivan, A.K., P.L. Simonian, M.T. Falta, G.P. Cosgrove, K.K. Brown, B.L. Kotzin, N.F. Voelkel and A.P. Fontenot. Oligoclonal CD4+ T cells in the lungs of patients with severe emphysema. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 172:590-596. 2005.
Bill, J.R., D.G. Mack, M.T. Falta, L.A. Maier, F.G. Joslin, A.K. Martin, B.M. Freed, B.L. Kotzin and A.P. Fontenot. Beryllium presentation to CD4+ T cells is dependent on a single amino acid residue of the MHC class II β-chain. J. Immunol. 175:7029-7037. 2005.
Jorgensen, T.N., J. Thurman, S. Izui, M.T. Falta, T.E. Metzger, S.A. Flannery, J. Kappler, P. Marrack and B.L. Kotzin. Genetic susceptibility to PolyI:C-induced IFNalpha/beta-dependent accelerated disease in lupus-prone mice. Genes Immun. 7:555-567. 2006.

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