Jennifer L. Edwards, Ph.D.

Jennifer L. Edwards, Ph.D., is a Principal Investigator in the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital. She is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Edwards's NIH-funded research program focuses on the interaction of bacterial pathogens with host mucosal surfaces, with a specific interest in the molecular mechanisms contributing to asymptomatic disease and infectious disease disparity.

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Gender:

• Female

Languages Spoken:

• English

Research Center:

• Center for Microbial Pathogenesis

Areas of Interest:

• Children and young adults suffer a disproportionate burden of health complications associated with Neisseria spp. infection. There is no vaccine available to prevent Neisseria gonorrhoeae (the gonococcus) infection. Whereas, current vaccines do protect against some Neisseria meningitidis (the meningococcus) serotypes, no vaccine is available for serogroup B strains, which cause a significant proportion of disease in western countries. Although the gonococcus and the meningococcus share very high (=97%) genomic sequence identity, the diseases caused by these two organisms are markedly different. Diseases associated with these bacteria continue to be national and international public health problems. In the United States, N. gonorrhoeae infections remain prevalent (second only to Chlamydia in terms of reportable infections) with associated health costs exceeding one billion dollars each year. N. meningitidis exists as a transient, commensal bacterium in up to 20% of the general population. However, for reasons that have remained undefined, a small proportion of these individuals (primarily infants and youths) will develop invasive, often life-threatening, illness. The presence of N. gonorrhoeae within the male urogenital tract or the female upper reproductive tract typically results in an acute inflammatory response. However, by analogy to meningococcal carriage; asymptomatic cervical (lower reproductive tract) disease occurs in the majority of women with gonococcal infection, and it is the primary factor attributed to the chronic complications of disease (e.g. pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and adverse pregnancy outcomes) observed predominately among women. Additionally, as humans serve as the only reservoir for N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis infections, the asymptomatic nature of transient meningococcal and of chronic cervical carriage contributes substantively to the continued prevalence of these organisms within the population.

  The focus of the Edwards laboratory is to elucidate the molecular/cellular mechanisms of neisserial pathogenesis, inclusive of those molecules contributing to colonization and disease progression. We are particularly interested in defining those host and bacterial factors that promote asymptomatic carriage/disease. In that N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis infections are limited to humans, we strive to mirror physiological conditions in our experiments in which we routinely use primary human cells and clinically isolated bacteria. These investigative conditions most closely mimic the in vivo human environment and ensure that data generated are relevant to those host processes trigger during human disease. Although many of our queries are rooted in cellular microbiology, we use a wide variety of approaches to explore the numerous questions yet to be answered. By further elucidating at the molecular and cellular level the (host and bacterial) factors and responses that contribute to colonization and disease progression, it may be possible to identify new strategies for the detection (biomarkers and diagnostics), the intervention (new therapeutic agents), and the prevention (vaccine development) of infection that, in turn, will translate better disease management and, ultimately, in improved women’s and children’s health. Current areas of interest include the following:

  *How do cyclic levels of steroid hormones and of oxygen availability influence gonococcal infection of the lower female genital tract

  *What are the mechanisms used by the pathogenic Neisseria to avoid killing by innate immune effectors during mucosal infection

  *Further definition of the mechanism(s) by which meningococci associate with and invade the airway epithelium

  *Mechanism by which gonococci associate with fetal and maternal membranes during pregnancy & how this relates to infection-induced adverse pregnancy outcomes

  *What are the host and bacterial factors that contribute to ascending infection of the female reproductive tract

Post Doctoral

• The University of Iowa
  Date Completed: 06/30/2002

Fellowship

• University of Iowa
  Date Completed: 06/30/2004

2010–present

• Associate Professor of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University

2004–2010

• Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University

• Butler, E. K. and J. L. Edwards. 2011. The pathobiology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae lower female genital tract infection.  Front in Cell Infect Microbiol. Vol. 2, no. 120. (March): 1-12.
• Wu,Hsing-Ju; Seib,Kate,L; Srikhanta,Yogitha,N; Edwards,Jennifer; Kidd,Stephen,P; Maguire,Tina,L; Hamilton,Amanda; Pan,Kuan-Tin; Hsiao,He-Hsuan; Yao,Chen-Wen; Grimmond,Sean,M; Apicella,Michael,A; McEwan,Alastair,G; Wang,Andrew,HJ; Jennings,Michael,P. 2010. Manganese regulation of virulence factors and oxidative stress resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.  JOURNAL OF PROTEOMICS. Vol. 73, no. 5. (March): 899-916.
• Edwards,Jennifer,L. 2010. Neisseria gonorrhoeae Survival during Primary Human Cervical Epithelial Cell Infection Requires Nitric Oxide and Is Augmented by Progesterone.  INFECTION AND IMMUNITY. Vol. 78, no. 3. (March): 1202-1213.
• Potter,Adam,J; Kidd,Stephen,P; Edwards,Jennifer,L; Falsetta,Megan,L; Apicella,Michael,A; Jennings,Michael,P; McEwan,Alastair,G. 2009. Esterase D Is Essential for Protection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae against Nitrosative Stress and for Bacterial Growth during Interaction with Cervical Epithelial Cells.  JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. Vol. 200, no. 2. (July): 273-278.
• Srikhanta,Yogitha,N; Dowideit,Stefanie,J; Edwards,Jennifer,L; Falsetta,Megan,L; Wu,Hsing-Ju; Harrison,Odile,B; Fox,Kate,L; Seib,Kate,L; Maguire,Tina,L; Wang,Andrew,HJ; Maiden,Martin,C; Grimmond,Sean,M; Apicella,Michael,A; Jennings,Michael,P. 2009. Phasevarions Mediate Random Switching of Gene Expression in Pathogenic Neisseria.  PLOS PATHOGENS. Vol. 5, no. 4. (April): ee1000400.
• Potter,Adam,J; Kidd,Stephen,P; Edwards,Jennifer,L; Falsetta,Megan,L; Apicella,Michael,A; Jennings,Michael,P; McEwan,Alastair,G. 2009. Thioredoxin Reductase Is Essential for Protection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae against Killing by Nitric Oxide and for Bacterial Growth during Interaction with Cervical Epithelial Cells.  JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. Vol. 199, no. 2. (January): 227-235.
• Edwards, J. L. 2008. The role of complement in gonococcal infection of cervical epithelia.  Vaccine. Vol. 26, no. S8. (December): 156-161.
• Lim,Karen,HL; Jones,Christopher,E; vanden Hoven,Rachel,N; Edwards,Jennifer,L; Falsetta,Megan,L; Apicella,Michael,A; Jennings,Michael,P; McEwan,Alastair,G. 2008. Metal binding specificity of the MntABC permease of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and its influence on bacterial growth and interaction with cervical epithelial cells.  INFECTION AND IMMUNITY. Vol. 76, no. 8. (August): 3569-3576.
• Seib,Kate,L; Wu,Hsing-Ju; Srikhanta,Yogitha,N; Edwards,Jennifer,L; Falsetta,Megan,L; Hamilton,Amanda,J; Maguire,Tina,L; Grimmond,Sean,M; Apicella,Michael,A; McEwan,Alastair,G; Jennings,Michael,P. 2007. Characterization of the OxyR regulon of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.  MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY. Vol. 63, no. 1. (January): 54-68.
• Edwards JL. 2007. Gender Differences in Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Pathogenesis. In Virulence Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogens, 4th Ed.. Edited by Brogden K. Washington DC: American Society for Microbiology Press.
• Edwards,Jennifer,L; Apicella,Michael,A. 2006. Neisseria gonorrhoeae PLD directly interacts with Akt kinase upon infection of primary, human, cervical epithelial cells.  CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY. Vol. 8, no. 8. (August): 1253-1271.
• Wu,H,J; Seib,K,L; Srikhanta,Y,N; Kidd,S,P; Edwards,J,L; Maguire,T,L; Grimmond,S,M; Apicella,M,A; McEwan,A,G; Jennings,M,P. 2006. PerR controls Mn-dependent resistance to oxidative stress in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.  MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY. Vol. 60, no. 2. (April): 401-416.
• Wu,H,J; Seib,K,L; Edwards,J,L; Apicella,M,A; McEwan,A,G; Jennings,M,P. 2005. Azurin of pathogenic Neisseria spp. is involved in defense against hydrogen peroxide and survival within cervical epithelial cells.  INFECTION AND IMMUNITY. Vol. 73, no. 12. (December): 8444-8448.
• Edwards,J,L; Apicella,M,A. 2005. I-domain-containing integrins serve as pilus receptors for Neisseria gonorrhoeae adherence to human epithelial cells.  CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY. Vol. 7, no. 8. (August): 1197-1211.
• Greiner,L,L; Edwards,J,L; Shao,J; Rabinak,C; Entz,D; Apicella,A,A. 2005. Biofilm formation by Neisseria gonorrhoeae.  INFECTION AND IMMUNITY. Vol. 73, no. 4. (April): 1964-1970.
• Edwards,J,L; Apicella,M,A. 2004. The molecular mechanisms used by Neisseria gonorrhoeae to initiate infection differ between men and women.  CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS. Vol. 17, no. 4. (October): 965-?.
• Edwards, J. L., H. A. Harvey, and M. A. Apicella. 2004. Neisseria gonorrhoeae: The varying mechanism of pathogenesis in males and females. In Bacterial Invasion of Host Cells. Edited by Richard Lamont. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Edwards,J,L; Entz,D,D; Apicella,M,A. 2003. Gonococcal phospholipase D modulates the expression and function of complement receptor 3 in primary cervical epithelial cells.  INFECTION AND IMMUNITY. Vol. 71, no. 11. (November): 6381-6391.
• Edwards,J,L; Apicella,M,A. 2002. The role of lipooligosaccharide in Neisseria gonorrhoeae pathogenesis of cervical epithelia: lipid A serves as a C3 acceptor molecule.  CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY. Vol. 4, no. 9. (September): 585-598.
• Atack, J. M., Y. N. Srikantha, J. P. Welch, C. T. Steichen, R. N. vanden Hoven, S. M. Grimmond, D. S. M. P. Othman, U. Kappler, M. A. Apicella, M. P. Jennings, J. L. Edwards, and A. G. McEwan. Characterization of an ntrX mutant of Neisseria gonorrhoeae reveals a response regulator that controls expression of respiratory enzymes in oxidase positive proteobacteria.  J Bacteriol.
• Gawthorne, J. A., Edwards, T. J., A. Folley, and J. L. Edwards. Neisseria gonorrhoeae adhere to and invade primary amniochorionic epithelial cells by a complement receptor 4 (CR4)-mediated mechanism.  Infect Immun.
• Jen, F. E.-C., M. J. Warren, B. L. Schulz, P. M. Power, W. E. Swords, J. N. Weiser, M. A. Apicella, J. L. Edwards, and M. P. Jennings. ChoP and glycan pilin modifications mediate meningococcal adherence to the PAFr on the human airway.  PLoS Pathogens.