Dennis Kasper

Dennis L. Kasper (born February 23, 1943) is an

American microbiologist and immunologist, and the Dennis L. Kasper
William Ellery Channing Professor of Medicine and Born February 23, 1943
Professor of Immunology at Harvard Medical School. Chicago, Illinois
He leads the Kasper Laboratory within the Blavatnik Citizenship United States
Institute in the Department of Immunology at Harvard Alma mater University of Illinois, Urbana
Medical School. He was also executive dean for
Spouse Marie Scurti
academic programs at Harvard Medical School and
director of the Channing Laboratory Department of Awards Squibb Award from the Infectious
Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital.[1] Diseases Society of America
NIH Career Development Award
Kasper is known for his research in interactions of the
NIH Merit Award
microbiome and immune system, and his work has
Professor John McArthur Award
played a key role in bringing modern molecular and
chemical biology into understanding the role microbes 2001, Elected to National
have in development and regulation of the immune Academy of Medicine
system. His primary focus is on immunochemistry 2018, Elected to National
alongside the genetics of bacteria and their role in Academy of Sciences
virulence – research that has concentrated on topics 2023, Albany Prize for Biomedical
related to bacterial polysaccharides and glycolipids.[2] Research
Kasper is also known as editor (alongside Anthony 2024, Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig
Fauci, Stephen L. Hauser and others) of Harrison's Darmstaedter Prize
Principles of Internal Medicine – a book widely used
Scientific career
by medical schools and practicing physicians.
Fields Microbiology, immunology
Institutions Harvard Medical School
Work and life Website kasperlab.hms.harvard.edu (http
s://kasperlab.hms.harvard.edu/)
Kasper was born on February 23, 1943, in Chicago,
Illinois to first-generation American parents. He was
the first in his family to attend college, going to the University of Illinois, Urbana on a pre-med track, and
graduating in 1963 having majored in zoology.[2][3] Kasper completed his medical training at both the
University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago (graduating in 1967), New York Hospital (Cornell
Medical Center) and Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical
School). He began his research career at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research from 1969 to
1972.[3] He became an Albee Fellow at Harvard Medical School in 1973, and from 1979 to 1985 was an
associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.[4] He later received an honorary Master's of
Arts degree from Harvard University in 1986.[5]

Kasper was director of the Channing Laboratory at Brigham and Women's Hospital from 1996 to 2012,
and has been William Ellery Channing Professor of Medicine and Professor of Microbiology and
Immunology at Harvard Medical School since 1989.[6] He was also the scientific director at the New
England Center of Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases at Harvard Medical
School until 2014.[7][8] Between 2002 and 2004, Kasper was President of the International Society of
Infectious Diseases, and Kasper was the first chairman of the National Science Advisory Board of
Biosecurity from 2005 to 2010.[9][10] He also served as Chairman of Scientific Counselors at the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases between 1989 and 1993.

Research
Kasper's research has focused on immunochemistry, and has played a large role in the understanding of
the role of the microbiota in the development of the immune system. Kasper's key research has included
the identification of immunomodulatory molecules from the microbiome, and exploration of how these
are used to treat immune-mediated diseases.

Microbes and the immune system

Kasper's research included elucidating the structure of the nine capsular polysaccharides of B
Streptococcus (GBS).[11][12] His work formed much of the understanding of the pathogenesis of GBS
infection, and led to the development of vaccines for 5 major serotypes of the group.[13][14] This work
was instrumental in defining the 'mechanisms by which conjugate vaccines stimulate the immune
system'.[15] Kasper also led the discovery and development of glycoconjugate vaccines, currently in
clinical trials, for preventing group B streptococcal infections.[16]

Kasper's study of Bacteroides fragilis was fundamental to developing the understanding of relationship
between gut microbiota and the immune system.[17][18] His work on exploring the links between the two
led to Kasper's election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2001, the American Academy of
Microbiology in 2005, and the National Academy of Sciences in 2018.

His discovery of polysaccharide A of B. fragilis and further work relating to the development and
regulation of the immune system by specific microbial molecules built upon the hygiene hypothesis,
holding that exposure to microbes at an early age is critical to building a healthy immune system.

Immunomodulatory research
Kasper's research in the space of sphingolipids led his group to discover B. fragilis glycosphingolipids,
which modulate natural killer T cell mediated inflammation in the colon; this alongside the
polysaccharide A work were the first immunomodulatory molecules identified from the microbiome.[19]
Kasper noted "Such molecules are hard to find [...] It's because the technology required to do it requires
bacteriology, immunology, chemistry, and genetics. Most [laboratories] specialize in one or the other. We
do a little of everything to mechanistically understand how microbial molecules interact with the immune
system."[20]

References
1. "Dennis L. Kasper, M.D." (https://kasperlab.hms.harvard.edu/people/dennis-l-kasper)
kasperlab.hms.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
 2. "Dennis L. Kasper · Maximizing Microbiology: Molecular Genetics, Cancer, and Virology,
1913–2013 · OnView: Digital Collections & Exhibits" (https://collections.countway.harvard.ed
u/onview/exhibits/show/maximizingmicrobiology/kasper#:~:text=vaccines%20and%20immu
nomodulators.-,Dennis%20L.,,%201943%20in%20Chicago,%20Illinois.).
collections.countway.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
3. Viegas, Jennifer (2019-12-26). "Profile of Dennis L. Kasper" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p
mc/articles/PMC6936685). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116 (52):
26144–26146. Bibcode:2019PNAS..11626144V (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019PN
AS..11626144V). doi:10.1073/pnas.1920088116 (https://doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.1920088
116). ISSN 0027-8424 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0027-8424). PMC 6936685 (https://
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6936685). PMID 31792193 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nl
m.nih.gov/31792193).
4. Mumford, Heather. "Research Guides: Vaccines: An Evolving History: Archive & Manuscript
Collections" (https://guides.library.harvard.edu/vaccines/archives).
guides.library.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
5. "ORCID – Dennis Kasper" (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8808-5333). orcid.org. Retrieved
2022-09-27.
6. "Channing Division of Network Medicine History – Brigham and Women's Hospital" (https://
www.brighamandwomens.org/research/departments/channing-division-of-network-medicine/
cdnm-history). www.brighamandwomens.org. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
7. "Biosecurity and Biodefense Resource – Federation of American Scientists" (https://biosecur
ity.fas.org/resource/map/nerce.htm). biosecurity.fas.org. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
8. Nieuwkerk, Jennifer. "Harvard University Receives $9.8M NIH Grant" (https://info.biotech-cal
endar.com/Biotechnology-Calendar-Company-Events-and-News/bid/100780/Harvard-Univer
sity-Receives-9-8M-NIH-Grant). info.biotech-calendar.com. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
"Researchers at Harvard University received a $9.8 million grant from the NIH this year for
the New England Regional Center of Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious
Diseases Research. The project leader is listed as Dr. Dennis Kasper. According to the
Harvard University website, Dr. Kasper and his research team are interested in the
interactions of microbes, including commensals and pathogens, with the immune system."
9. Medicine, Institute of; Agency, Medical Follow-up; Program, Committee to Review the CDC
Anthrax Vaccine Safety and Efficacy Research (2002-12-25). An Assessment of the CDC
Anthrax Vaccine Safety and Efficacy Research Program (https://books.google.com/books?id
=KaPtAAAAQBAJ&dq=President+of+the+International+Society+of+Infectious+Diseases+de
nnis+kasper&pg=PA102). National Academies Press. ISBN 978-0-309-08626-4.
10. The Journal of Immunology: Official Journal of the American Association of Immunologists
(https://books.google.com/books?id=lb0gAQAAMAAJ&q=National+Science+Advisory+Boar
d+of+Biosecurity+dennis+kasper). Williams & Wilkins. 2009.
11. Welfare, United States Congress House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on the
Departments of Labor and Health, Education, and (1979). Departments of Labor and Health,
Education, and Welfare appropriations for 1980: hearings before a subcommittee of the
Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, first
session (https://books.google.com/books?id=GTTRAAAAMAAJ&dq=Dennis+Kasper+GBS+
vaccine&pg=PA779). U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 779.
12. Tettelin, Hervé; Medini, Duccio (2020-04-30). The Pangenome: Diversity, Dynamics and
Evolution of Genomes (https://books.google.com/books?id=hcfgDwAAQBAJ&dq=Dennis+K
asper+B+Streptococcus+(GBS)&pg=PA3). Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-030-38281-0.
13. "Dennis L. Kasper, MD" (https://highered.mheducation.com/sites/dl/free/0071402357/15670
6/bio_kasper.html). highered.mheducation.com. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
14. Ellis, Ronald W.; Brodeur, Bernard R. (2003-11-30). New Bacterial Vaccines (https://books.g
oogle.com/books?id=eKd3aiUz_MEC&dq=Dennis+Kasper+GBS+vaccine&pg=PA187).
Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-0-306-47832-1.
15. Avci, Fikri Y.; Li, Xiangming; Tsuji, Moriya; Kasper, Dennis L. (December 2011). "A
mechanism for glycoconjugate vaccine activation of the adaptive immune system and its
implications for vaccine design" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3482454).
Nature Medicine. 17 (12): 1602–1609. doi:10.1038/nm.2535 (https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fnm.
2535). ISSN 1546-170X (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1546-170X). PMC 3482454 (http
s://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3482454). PMID 22101769 (https://pubmed.ncbi.
nlm.nih.gov/22101769). S2CID 195682634 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:19568
2634).
16. Vaccines (https://books.google.com/books?id=d0JrAAAAMAAJ&q=Dennis+Kasper+glycoco
njugate+vaccine). Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. 1994. ISBN 978-0-87969-434-0.
17. McAdam, Alexander J. (2021-10-19). Munson, Erik (ed.). "Biographical Feature: Andrew B.
Onderdonk, Ph.D." (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8525579) Journal of
Clinical Microbiology. 59 (11): e01505–21. doi:10.1128/JCM.01505-21 (https://doi.org/10.11
28%2FJCM.01505-21). ISSN 0095-1137 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0095-1137).
PMC 8525579 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8525579). PMID 34524890
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34524890). "Another major area of inquiry for Dr.
Onderdonk, pursued in collaboration with Dr. Dennis Kasper, was the role of the capsule in
the virulence of Bacteroides fragilis. Encapsulated, but not unencapsulated, strains caused
abscess formation in the intra-abdominal sepsis model; furthermore, purified capsule also
caused abscess formation (19)."
18. Winslow, Charles-Edward Amory; Sherman, James Morgan; Porter, John Roger (1979).
Journal of Bacteriology (https://books.google.com/books?id=UnwgAAAAMAAJ&q=dennis+k
asper+immunochemistry). Vol. 138. American Society for Microbiology. p. 617. ISBN 978-0-
914826-19-4.
19. An, Dingding; Oh, Sungwhan F.; Olszak, Torsten; Neves, Joana F.; Avci, Fikri Y.; Erturk-
Hasdemir, Deniz; Lu, Xi; Zeissig, Sebastian; Blumberg, Richard S.; Kasper, Dennis L.
(January 2014). "Sphingolipids from a Symbiotic Microbe Regulate Homeostasis of Host
Intestinal Natural Killer T Cells" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3909465).
Cell. 156 (1–2): 123–133. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2013.11.042 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cell.2
013.11.042). ISSN 0092-8674 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0092-8674). PMC 3909465
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3909465). PMID 24439373 (https://pubmed.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24439373).
20. Viegas, Jennifer (2 December 2019). "Profile of Dennis L. Kasper" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.
gov/pmc/articles/PMC6936685). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116
(52): 26144–26146. Bibcode:2019PNAS..11626144V (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/20
19PNAS..11626144V). doi:10.1073/pnas.1920088116 (https://doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.192
0088116). ISSN 0027-8424 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0027-8424). PMC 6936685 (htt
ps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6936685). PMID 31792193 (https://pubmed.ncb
i.nlm.nih.gov/31792193).

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