Thomas Klein, Ph.D.

Emeritus Professor, Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine

Contact Info

• Molecular Medicine, Box 7
  12901 Bruce Downs Blvd. MDC07
  Tampa FL 33612
• Academic Email: tklein@usf.edu
• Academic Phone: (813) 974-2502
• View My C.V.

Education

Academic Philosophy

Interdisciplinary and Emerging Signature Programs

• Allergy, Immunology & Infectious Disease

Research Interests

• Cannabinoid-based drugs are currently being tested for use as therapeutic agents in the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, inflammatory pain, and Alzheimers disease. It is our goal to discover what effect the drugs have on the immune system and resistance to infections and tumors. Currently, we are studying the distribution, function, and molecular biology of cannabinoid receptors on immune cells as well as the effect of these drugs on resistance to infection.
• In addition to our work with cannabinoids and immunity, we are also studying immune mechanisms important in vaccine development. It is becoming clear that effective public health measures to combat emerging infectious diseases must include a good vaccine program. The development of useful vaccines relies on a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of immunity to microbes. Therefore, we are investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of immune T helper cell activity important in fighting infections. One model system we are studying intensively involves the cellular immune mechanisms induced by infection with the microbe that causes Legionnaires' Disease; a fatal pneumonia of concern in immunosuppressed populations and other select populations world-wide.

Awards/Honors

• Wybran Award (Society on Neuroimmune Pharmacology - 2008)
• USF Million Dollar Researcher Award (University of South Florida - 2006)
• President's Award for Faculty Excellence (University of South Florida - 2003)
• Distingushed Scholar Award (Theodore and Venette Askounes-Ashford - 2002)
• Professorial Excellence Award Recipient (State of Florida - 1999)
• Alumni Merit Award (Creighton University - 1996)
• Robert J. Grasso Award for Graduate Education (AMSGS - 1996)

Memberships

• (Society on Neuroimmune Pharmacology, 2002 - Present)
• (American Association of Immunologists, 1990 - Present)
• (International Cannabinoid Research Society, 1990 - Present)
• (American Society for Microbiology, 1973 - Present)

Recent Publications

• Reich RR, Lengacher CA, Klein TW, Newton C, Shivers S, Ramesar S, Alinat CB, Paterson C, Le A, Park JY, Johnson-Mallard V, Elias M, Moscoso M, Goodman M, Kip KE. A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR[BC]) on Levels of Inflammatory Biomarkers Among Recovering Breast Cancer Survivors. Biological research for nursing. 19(4) : 456-464, 2017.
• Williams JC, Klein TW, Goldberger BA, Sleasman JW, Mackman N, Goodenow MM. Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) enhances lipopolysaccharide-stimulated tissue factor in human monocytes and monocyte-derived microvesicles. Journal of inflammation (London, England). 12: 39, 2015.
• Williams JC, Appelberg S, Goldberger BA, Klein TW, Sleasman JW, Goodenow MM. Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol treatment during human monocyte differentiation reduces macrophage susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology. 9(3) : 369-79, 2014.
• Reich RR, Lengacher CA, Kip KE, Shivers SC, Schell MJ, Shelton MM, Widen RH, Newton C, Barta MK, Paterson CL, Farias JR, Cox CE, Klein TW. Baseline immune biomarkers as predictors of MBSR(BC) treatment success in off-treatment breast cancer patients. Biological research for nursing. 16(4) : 429-37, 2014.
• Lengacher CA, Kip KE, Post-White J, Fitzgerald S, Newton C, Barta M, Jacobsen PB, Shelton MM, Moscoso M, Johnson-Mallard V, Harris E, Loftus L, Cox C, Le N, Goodman M, Djeu J, Widen RH, Bercu BB, Klein TW. Lymphocyte recovery after breast cancer treatment and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) therapy. Biological research for nursing. 15(1) : 37-47, 2013.
• Newton CA, Klein TW. Cannabinoid 2 (CB2) Receptor Involvement in the Down-regulation but not Up-regulation of Serum IgE Levels in Immunized Mice. Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology. , 2012.
• Lengacher CA, Johnson-Mallard V, Post-White J, Moscoso MS, Jacobsen PB, Klein TW, Widen RH, Fitzgerald SG, Shelton MM, Barta M, Goodman M, Cox CE, Kip KE. Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for survivors of breast cancer. Psycho-oncology. 18(12) : 1261-72, 2009.
• Sherwood TA, Nong L, Agudelo M, Newton C, Widen R, Klein TW. Identification of transcription start sites and preferential expression of select CB2 transcripts in mouse and human B lymphocytes. Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology. 4(4) : 476-88, 2009.
• Newton CA, Chou PJ, Perkins I, Klein TW. CB(1) and CB(2) cannabinoid receptors mediate different aspects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced T helper cell shift following immune activation by Legionella pneumophila infection. Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology. 4(1) : 92-102, 2009.
• Klein TW, Peterson P, Cabral G, Kaminski N, Adler M. In memory of Billy R. Martin (1943-2008). Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology. 3(4) : 201-2, 2008.
• Agudelo M, Newton C, Widen R, Sherwood T, Nong L, Friedman H, Klein TW. Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) mediates immunoglobulin class switching from IgM to IgE in cultures of murine-purified B lymphocytes. Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology. 3(1) : 35-42, 2008.
• Chou PJ, Newton CA, Perkins I, Friedman H, Klein TW. Suppression of dendritic cell activation by anthrax lethal toxin and edema toxin depends on multiple factors including cell source, stimulus used, and function tested. DNA and cell biology. 27(12) : 637-48, 2008.
• Mamata Y, Hakki A, Newton C, Burdash N, Klein TW, Friedman H. Differential effects of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection on cytokine levels in human T lymphocyte- and monocyte-derived cell cultures. International journal of medical microbiology : IJMM. 297(2) : 109-15, 2007.
• Newton CA, Perkins I, Widen RH, Friedman H, Klein TW. Role of Toll-like receptor 9 in Legionella pneumophila-induced interleukin-12 p40 production in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and macrophages from permissive and nonpermissive mice. Infection and immunity. 75(1) : 146-51, 2007.
• Rogers J, Hakki A, Perkins I, Newton C, Widen R, Burdash N, Klein T, Friedman H. Legionella pneumophila infection up-regulates dendritic cell Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)/TLR4 expression and key maturation markers. Infection and immunity. 75(6) : 3205-8, 2007.
• Lu T, Newton C, Perkins I, Friedman H, Klein TW. Cannabinoid treatment suppresses the T-helper cell-polarizing function of mouse dendritic cells stimulated with Legionella pneumophila infection. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics. 319(1) : 269-76, 2006.
• Lu T, Newton C, Perkins I, Friedman H, Klein TW. Role of cannabinoid receptors in Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol suppression of IL-12p40 in mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells infected with Legionella pneumophila. European journal of pharmacology. 532(1-2) : 170-7, 2006.
• Klein TW, Cabral GA. Cannabinoid-induced immune suppression and modulation of antigen-presenting cells. Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology. 1(1) : 50-64, 2006.
• Friedman H, Pross S, Klein TW. Addictive drugs and their relationship with infectious diseases. FEMS immunology and medical microbiology. 47(3) : 330-42, 2006.
• Rogers J, Perkins I, van Olphen A, Burdash N, Klein TW, Friedman H. Epigallocatechin gallate modulates cytokine production by bone marrow-derived dendritic cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide or muramyldipeptide, or infected with Legionella pneumophila. Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.). 230(9) : 645-51, 2005.
• Klein TW. Cannabinoid-based drugs as anti-inflammatory therapeutics. Nature reviews. Immunology. 5(5) : 400-11, 2005.
• Mamata Y, Hakki A, Yamamoto Y, Newton C, Klein TW, Pross S, Friedman H. Nicotine modulates cytokine production by Chlamydia pneumoniae infected human peripheral blood cells. International immunopharmacology. 5(4) : 749-56, 2005.
• Ehrhart J, Obregon D, Mori T, Hou H, Sun N, Bai Y, Klein T, Fernandez F, Tan J, Shytle RD. Stimulation of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) suppresses microglial activation. Journal of neuroinflammation. 2: 29, 2005.
• Newton CA, Lu T, Nazian SJ, Perkins I, Friedman H, Klein TW. The THC-induced suppression of Th1 polarization in response to Legionella pneumophila infection is not mediated by increases in corticosterone and PGE2. Journal of leukocyte biology. 76(4) : 854-61, 2004.
• Klein TW, Newton C, Larsen K, Chou J, Perkins I, Lu L, Nong L, Friedman H. Cannabinoid receptors and T helper cells. Journal of neuroimmunology. 147(1-2) : 91-4, 2004.
• Matsunaga K, Klein TW, Friedman H, Yamamoto Y. Epigallocatechin gallate, a potential immunomodulatory agent of tea components, diminishes cigarette smoke condensate-induced suppression of anti-Legionella pneumophila activity and cytokine responses of alveolar macrophages. Clinical and diagnostic laboratory immunology. 9(4) : 864-71, 2002.
• Medveczky MM, Sherwood TA, Klein TW, Friedman H, Medveczky PG. Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) inhibits lytic replication of gamma oncogenic herpesviruses in vitro. BMC medicine. 2: 34, 2004.
• Klein TW, Newton C, Larsen K, Lu L, Perkins I, Nong L, Friedman H. The cannabinoid system and immune modulation. Journal of leukocyte biology. 74(4) : 486-96, 2003.
• Klein TW, Newton CA, Friedman H. Cannabinoids and the immune system. Pain research & management : the journal of the Canadian Pain Society = journal de la société canadienne pour le traitement de la douleur. 6(2) : 95-101, 2001.
• Matsunaga K, Yamaguchi H, Klein TW, Friedman H, Yamamoto Y. Legionella pneumophila suppresses macrophage interleukin-12 production by activating the p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. Infection and immunity. 71(11) : 6672-5, 2003.
• Matsunaga K, Klein TW, Newton C, Friedman H, Yamamoto Y. Legionella pneumophila suppresses interleukin-12 production by macrophages. Infection and immunity. 69(3) : 1929-33, 2001.
• Friedman H, Newton C, Klein TW. Microbial infections, immunomodulation, and drugs of abuse. Clinical microbiology reviews. 16(2) : 209-19, 2003.
• Matsunaga K, Klein TW, Friedman H, Yamamoto Y. Legionella pneumophila replication in macrophages inhibited by selective immunomodulatory effects on cytokine formation by epigallocatechin gallate, a major form of tea catechins. Infection and immunity. 69(6) : 3947-53, 2001.
• Resto-Ruiz SI, Schmiederer M, Sweger D, Newton C, Klein TW, Friedman H, Anderson BE. Induction of a potential paracrine angiogenic loop between human THP-1 macrophages and human microvascular endothelial cells during Bartonella henselae infection. Infection and immunity. 70(8) : 4564-70, 2002.
• Matsunaga K, Klein TW, Friedman H, Yamamoto Y. Alveolar macrophage cell Line MH-S is valuable as an in vitro model for Legionella pneumophila infection. American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology. 24(3) : 326-31, 2001.
• Friedman H, Yamamoto Y, Klein TW. Legionella pneumophila pathogenesis and immunity. Seminars in pediatric infectious diseases. 13(4) : 273-9, 2002.
• Town T, Vendrame M, Patel A, Poetter D, DelleDonne A, Mori T, Smeed R, Crawford F, Klein T, Tan J, Mullan M. Reduced Th1 and enhanced Th2 immunity after immunization with Alzheimer''s beta-amyloid(1-42). Journal of neuroimmunology. 132(1-2) : 49-59, 2002.
• Town T, Tan J, Sansone N, Obregon D, Klein T, Mullan M. Characterization of murine immunoglobulin G antibodies against human amyloid-beta1-42. Neuroscience letters. 307(2) : 101-4, 2001.
• Matsunaga K, Klein TW, Friedman H, Yamamoto Y. In vitro therapeutic effect of epigallocatechin gallate on nicotine-induced impairment of resistance to Legionella pneumophila infection of established MH-S alveolar macrophages. The Journal of infectious diseases. 185(2) : 229-36, 2002.
• Salins S, Newton C, Widen R, Klein TW, Friedman H. Differential induction of gamma interferon in Legionella pneumophila-infected macrophages from BALB/c and A/J mice. Infection and immunity. 69(6) : 3605-10, 2001.
• Matsunaga K, Klein TW, Friedman H, Yamamoto Y. Involvement of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in suppression of antimicrobial activity and cytokine responses of alveolar macrophages to Legionella pneumophila infection by nicotine. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950). 167(11) : 6518-24, 2001.
• Nong L, Newton C, Cheng Q, Friedman H, Roth MD, Klein TW. Altered cannabinoid receptor mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from marijuana smokers. Journal of neuroimmunology. 127(1-2) : 169-76, 2002.
• Lee SF, Newton C, Widen R, Friedman H, Klein TW. Differential expression of cannabinoid CB(2) receptor mRNA in mouse immune cell subpopulations and following B cell stimulation. European journal of pharmacology. 423(2-3) : 235-41, 2001.
• Noe SN, Newton C, Widen R, Friedman H, Klein TW. Anti-CD40, anti-CD3, and IL-2 stimulation induce contrasting changes in CB1 mRNA expression in mouse splenocytes. Journal of neuroimmunology. 110(1-2) : 161-7, 2000.
• McHugh S, Yamamoto Y, Klein TW, Friedman H. Differential expression of IL-1 and TNF receptors in murine macrophages infected with virulent vs. avirulent Legionella pneumophila. Canadian journal of microbiology. 46(10) : 885-91, 2000.
• Newton C, McHugh S, Widen R, Nakachi N, Klein T, Friedman H. Induction of interleukin-4 (IL-4) by legionella pneumophila infection in BALB/c mice and regulation of tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL-6, and IL-1beta. Infection and immunity. 68(9) : 5234-40, 2000.
• Klein TW, Newton CA, Nakachi N, Friedman H. Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol treatment suppresses immunity and early IFN-gamma, IL-12, and IL-12 receptor beta 2 responses to Legionella pneumophila infection. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950). 164(12) : 6461-6, 2000.
• McHugh SL, Yamamoto Y, Klein TW, Friedman H. Murine macrophages differentially produce proinflammatory cytokines after infection with virulent vs. avirulent Legionella pneumophila. Journal of leukocyte biology. 67(6) : 863-8, 2000.
• McHugh SL, Newton CA, Yamamoto Y, Klein TW, Friedman H. Tumor necrosis factor induces resistance of macrophages to Legionella pneumophila infection. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (New York, N.Y.). 224(3) : 191-6, 2000.
• Nakachi N, Klein TW, Friedman H, Yamamoto Y. Helicobacter pylori infection of human gastric epithelial cells induces IL-8 and TNFalpha, but not TGFbeta1 mRNA. FEMS immunology and medical microbiology. 29(1) : 23-6, 2000.
• Klein TW, Lane B, Newton CA, Friedman H. The cannabinoid system and cytokine network. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (New York, N.Y.). 225(1) : 1-8, 2000.
• Nakachi N, Matsunaga K, Klein TW, Friedman H, Yamamoto Y. Differential effects of virulent versus avirulent Legionella pneumophila on chemokine gene expression in murine alveolar macrophages determined by cDNA expression array technique. Infection and immunity. 68(10) : 6069-72, 2000.