College of Dentistry | University of Florida

Martin Handfield

Martin Handfield

Center for Molecular Microbiology and Department of Oral Biology
Associate Professor

Phone: 352.273.8858
E-Mail: mhandfield@dental.ufl.edu

  • Ph.D., Laval University, 1997
  • M.Sc., Laval University, 1993
  • B.Sc., Laval University, 1992

Main Interests

The major interest of our laboratory is the molecular characterization of human bacterial infections using integrated tools of molecular biology, genetics and immunology. In particular, we have developed a technology called IVIAT (Trends Microbiol. 8:336-339) that identifies proteins expressed by pathogenic microorganisms only during an infectious process. The major revolutionary aspect of our technology is that it does not rely on or employ animal models; it identifies proteins expressed during actual infections of humans. This technology was initially developed to study infections of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in localized juvenile periodontitis patients. It is now also applied to over thirty viral, fungal, parasitic and other bacterial infections. Our laboratory also pioneered the use of global systems-based approaches to study the intricate interactions occurring between oral epithelial cells and important plaque microorganisms. In particular, we have used human microarrays arrays to understand the global epithelial transcriptional responses to challenges with oral periopathogens. Through the use of strains with mutations in important bacterial effector proteins, we have been able to asses the role of specific bacterial components in epithelial cell responses. The long-term objective of our work is to define novel targets for rationale diagnostic, therapeutic or vaccine strategies.

Recent Publications

  • Rollins SM, Peppercorn A, Young JS, Drysdale M, Baresch A, Bikowski MV, Ashford DA, Quinn CP, Handfield M, Hillman JD, Lyons CR, Koehler TM, Calderwood SB, Ryan ET. Application of in vivo induced antigen technology (IVIAT) to Bacillus anthracis. PLoS ONE. 2008 Mar 19, 3(3):e1824.
  • Yoo JY, Kim HC, Zhu W, Kim SM, Sabet M, Handfield M, Hillman J, Progulske-Fox A, Lee SW. Identification of Tannerella forsythia antigens specifically expressed in patients with periodontal disease.FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2007 Oct, 275(2):344-52.
  • Mao S, Park Y, Hasegawa Y, Tribble GD, James CE, Handfield M, Stavropoulos MF, Yilmaz O, Lamont RJ. Intrinsic apoptotic pathways of gingival epithelial cells modulated by Porphyromonas gingivalis. Cell Microbiol. 2007 Aug, 9(8):1997-2007.
  • Hasegawa Y, Mans JJ, Mao S, Lopez MC, Baker HV, Handfield M, Lamont RJ. Gingival epithelial cell transcriptional responses to commensal and opportunistic oral microbial species. Infect Immun. 2007 May, 75(5):2540-7.
  • Handfield M, Hillman JD. In vivo induced antigen technology (IVIAT) and change mediated antigen technology (CMAT). Infect Disord Drug Targets. 2006 Sep, 6(3):327-34. Review.
  • Mans JJ, Lamont RJ, Handfield M. Microarray analysis of human epithelial cell responses to bacterial interaction. Infect Disord Drug Targets. 2006 Sep, 6(3):299-309. Review.
  • Harris JB, Baresch-Bernal A, Rollins SM, Alam A, LaRocque RC, Bikowski M, Peppercorn AF, Handfield M, Hillman JD, Qadri F, Calderwood SB, Hohmann E, Breiman RF, Brooks WA, Ryan ET. Identification of in vivo-induced bacterial protein antigens during human infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. Infect Immun. 2006 Sep, 74(9):5161-8.
  • Salim, K.Y., Cvitkovitch, D.G., Chang, P., Bast, D.J., Handfield, M., Hillman, J.D., & de Azavedo, J.C. (2005). Identification of group A Streptococcus antigenic determinants upregulated in vivo. Infect Immun, 73(9), 6026-38.
  • Song, Y.H., Kozarov, E.V., Walters, S.M., Cao, S.L., Handfield, M., Hillman, J.D., & Progulske-Fox, A. (2002). Genes of periodontopathogens expressed during human disease. Ann Periodontol, 7(1), 38-42.
  • Handfield, M., Mans, J.J., Zheng, G., Lopez, M.C., Mao, S., Progulske-Fox, A., Narasimhan, G., Baker, H.V., & Lamont, R.J. (2005). Distinct transcriptional profiles characterize oral epithelium-microbiota interactions. Cell Microbiol, 7(6), 811-23.
  • Handfield, M., Progulske-Fox, A., & Hillman, J.D. (2005). In vivo induced genes in human diseases. Periodontol 2000, 38, 123-34.
  • John, M., Kudva, I.T., Griffin , R.W., Dodson, A.W., McManus, B., Krastins, B., Sarracino, D., Progulske-Fox, A., Hillman, J.D., Handfield, M., Tarr, P.I., & Calderwood, S.B. (2005). Use of in vivo-induced antigen technology for identification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 proteins expressed during human infection. Infect Immun, 73(5), 2665-79.
  • Richardson , J., Craighead, J.C., Cao, S.L., & Handfield, M. (2005). Concurrence between the gene expression pattern of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in localized aggressive periodontitis and in human epithelial cells. J Med Microbiol, 54(Pt 5), 497-504.
  • Rollins, S.M., Peppercorn, A., Hang, L., Hillman, J.D., Calderwood, S.B., Handfield, M., & Ryan, E.T. (2005). In vivo induced antigen technology (IVIAT). Cell Microbiol, 7(1), 1-9.
  • Cao, S.L., Progulske-Fox, A., Hillman, J.D., Handfield, M. (2004). In vivo induced antigenic determinants of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. FEMS Microbiol Lett, 237(1), 97-103.
  • Cheng, S., Nguyen, M.H., Zhang, Z., Jia, H., Handfield, M., Clancy, C.J. (2003). Evaluation of the roles of four Candida albicans genes in virulence by using gene disruption strains that express URA3 from the native locus. Infect Immun, 71(10), 6101-3.
  • Kim, Y.R., Lee, S.E., Kim, C.M., Kim, S.Y., Shin, E.K., Shin, D.H., Chung, S.S., Choy, H.E., Progulske-Fox, A., Hillman, J.D., Handfield, M., & Rhee, J.H. (2003). Characterization and pathogenic significance of Vibrio vulnificus antigens preferentially expressed in septicemic patients. Infect Immun, 71(10), 5461-71.
  • Hang, L., John, M., Asaduzzaman, M., Bridges, E.A., Vanderspurt, C., Kirn, T.J., Taylor , R.K., Hillman, J.D., Progulske-Fox, A., Handfield, M., Ryan, E.T., & Calderwood, S.B. (2003). Use of in vivo-induced antigen technology (IVIAT) to identify genes uniquely expressed during human infection with Vibrio cholerae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 100(14), 8508-13.
  • Cheng, S., Clancy, C.J., Checkley, M.A., Handfield, M., Hillman, J.D., Progulske-Fox, A., Lewin, A.S., Fidel, P.L., & Nguyen, M.H. (2003). Identification of Candida albicans genes induced during thrush offers insight into pathogenesis. Mol Microbiol, 48(5), 1275-88.
  • Handfield, M., Seifert, T., & Hillman, J.D. (2003). In vivo expression of bacterial genes during human infections. Methods Mol Med, 71, 225-42.
  • Handfield, M., Brady, L.J., Progulske-Fox, A., Hillman, J.D. (2000). IVIAT: a novel method to identify microbial genes expressed specifically during human infections. Trends Microbiol, 8(7), 336-9.
  • Handfield, M., Lehoux, D.E., Sanschagrin, F., Mahan, M.J., Woods, D.E., Levesque, R.C. (2000). In vivo-induced genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Infect Immun, 68(4), 2359-62.

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