Research Program Transplant Biology and Therapy
Assistant Professor, Dermatology

erics004@umn.edu
612-624-2995 — office
612-625-5925 — lab
Preferred method of contact: e-mail

Research Interests

Microscopy and Imaging

• Single and multiphoton laser microscopy
• Second harmonic generation imaging
  • Tumor/collagen interactions
  • Osteoarthritic imaging in vivo
• Stereology
• Development of deep-tissue imaging methodologies
• Measurement of Specific Signal Transduction Endpoints to Identify Potential Biomarkers and Mechanisms of Action of Specific Preventive Agents-Mammary and Bladder Cancer Rodent Models

Skin Cancer

• Detection and imaging
  • Solid organ transplant recipients
• Tumor/nerve/vessel interactions
• Photoprotection by 6-Gingeral (Hormel)

Cutaneous TCell Lymphoma

• Investigate nature of chronic pruritus in CTCL patients.

Cancer Pain

• Nerve/tumor/vessel interactions in a murine model of cancer pain and use of CGRP inhibitor.
• Collaborative project using combinational therapy in a murine model.
• Collaborative project to test effects of using chronic cannabinoid administration to modify tumor-induced hyperalgesia in a mouse model of cancer pain

Cutaneous neural/immune interactions

• Topical neuroimmunophilin ligand analogs
  • Potential therapy for neuropathic pain state – loss of epidermal nerves
  • Hair cycle control

Mechanisms of Tick-borne Infections in mammals

Selected Publications

Sauer MG, Ericson ME, Herron M, Kren B, Weigel BJ, Panoskaltsis-Mortari A, Levine B, Krieg AM, Taylor PM, Blazar BR. (2004) Adoptively transferred AML-reactive T-cells interact with leukemic blasts in vivo and can cure acute leukemia bearing mice in an autologous setting. Cancer Res. 64:3914-3921.

Wacnik PW, Baker CM, Herron MJ, Blazar BR, Wilcox GW, Hordinsky MK, Beitz AJ, Ericson ME. (2005) GRP Innervation And Decreased Vascularization Of DsRed2-Transfected Tumors Are Associated With Progressive Tumor-Induced Mechanical Hyperalgesia. Pain 115:95-106.