Title
Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Immune Disorders & BMT)
Education
BS – Tulane University; 1979
MS – University of New Orleans; 1981
MD – Louisiana State University; 1985
Postgraduate Education
Residency – Tulane University
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship – University of
Colorado Health Sciences Center
Post-doctoral Research Fellowship – National Jewish Center for
Immunology and Respiratory Medicine
Clinical Interests
Director, Pediatric Immune Disorders Clinic.
Director, Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation. Congenital immunodeficiencies,
umbilical cord blood transplantation,
bone marrow failure disorders including Dyskeratosis congenita, Schwachman
Diamond Syndrome, and aplastic anemia.
Research Interests
Primary research interests are in the area of bone marrow failure syndromes. These are conditions where bone marrow is no longer capable of making red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. Many of these conditions are inherited and can affect infants, young children, and even adults. As an example, Shwachman Diamond Syndrome is a disease where patients have low white blood cell counts and pancreatic insufficiency. These patients often develop severe bone marrow failure and this is the leading cause of death. We have been studying how white blood cells in this disorder crawl around (chemotaxis) and believe that abnormal chemotaxis is one of the underlying causes for these patients having increased risks of infections. Dr. Goldman collaborates with Dr. Soll who is looking at proteins inside of cells that may contribute to this abnormal white blood cell chemotaxis. When patients with Shwachman Diamond Syndrome develop aplastic anemia or severe bone marrow failure, they are then in need of a bone marrow transplant. Dr. Goldman’s transplant group has developed a protocol that has fewer side effects. Other bone marrow failure syndromes including Dyskeratosis congenita and Fanconi’s anemia are also transplanted with modified less toxic regimens.
Dr. Goldman’s laboratory is also interested in the role of telomeres in the development of blood forming units in the bone marrow as well as cell aging. Various bone marrow syndromes are associated with short telomeres and the focus of his studies are looking to determine whether telomere shortening makes cells more sensitive to chemotherapy. Additionally, Dr. Goldman’s laboratory is currently developing in a gene therapy model with the hope of being able to someday cure certain genetic disorders without the need of a bone marrow transplant.
Finally, Dr. Goldman’s other interests include understanding what causes various sorts of immune deficiencies in children. His laboratory is able to do a number of molecular tests to look for the causes of these immune problems. Finally, his laboratory also looks at how certain drugs affect the immune system and how the immune system recovers after bone marrow transplantation.
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Lab Members:
Ike Akabogu, Vibha Singhal, Dale Winnike
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Affiliations:
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Model System
- Telomere Studies: Our primary model system employs human somatic cells (lymphocytes, hematopoietic stem cells, keratinocytes, fibroblasts) from patients with Dyskeratosis congenita. This condition is due to a defect in the human telomerase RNA molecule, hTERC, resulting in diminished telomerase activity, shortened telomeres, and premature cell senescence. The goals of these studies are to understand the role of telomerase activity in various cellular functions, with the ultimate goal of devising gene therapy strategies as a protective tool for cellular senescence.
- Graft-versus-host disease: We utilize cells isolated from patients enrolled on a Phase III study examining the efficacy of a new drug, plaquenil, to treat chronic graft-versus-host disease. Our in vitro studies exam both the function and phenotype of lymphocytes, and in addition, qualitate immune responses by measuring production of TH1 or TH2 cytokines.
Recent Publications
Back to the Department of Pediatrics
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Division of Hematology/Oncology
Recent Publications
Contact Information:
E-mail:frederick-goldman@uiowa.edu
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