Michael M. Frank, MD

Department / Division:
Pediatrics / Allergy and Immunology

Address:
DUMC 2611
Durham, NC 27710

Appointment Telephone:
919-684-4626

Office Telephone:
919-684-4626

Fax Telephone:
919-681-0847

• MD, Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts), 1960

• Internal Medicine, Boston City Hospital (Massachusetts), 1960-1961
• Clinical Associate, National Institutes of Health, 1962-1964
• Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Hospital (Maryland), 1961-1962, 1964-1965
• National Institutes of Health (Maryland), 1966-1968

Clinical Interests:
Defects in host defenses (complement), allergic and immunologic diseases, autoimmune diseases, hereditary angioedema

Research Interests:
The research of Dr. Frank's laboratory revolves around effector mechanisms of immune damage.  Specifically, the laboratory is interested in understanding how antibody and complement contribute to the damage of tissues and micro-organisms.  Overlapping areas of interest include the role of mediators in inflammation and the functions of antibody and complement in the production of autoimmune disease.  Specific interests of the group in the last year have included studies of the mechanism by which infusion of intravenous immunoglobulin into animals and man down regulates immunologic damage.  A second area of interest concerns the role of complement and antibody in the pathogenesis of HIV and in prevention of HIV infection.  A third area concerns the role of complement in the generation of an immune response.  A long term interest has been in the clinical signs and appropriate treatment of patients with hereditary angioedema.

Representative Publications:
Frank MM. 8. Hereditary angioedema. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008 Feb;121(2 Suppl):S398-401; quiz S419. (2008) Abstract

Frank MM, Jiang H. New therapies for hereditary angioedema: disease outlook changes dramatically. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008 Jan;121(1):272-80. (2008) Abstract

Frank MM, Atkinson JP. Homozygous C1 inhibitor deficiency: The conclusion of a long search. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006 Dec;118(6):1327-9. (2006) Abstract

Atkinson JP, Frank MM. Bypassing complement: evolutionary lessons and future implications. J Clin Invest. 2006 May;116(5):1215-8. (2006) Abstract

Jiang H, Wang Z, Serra D, Frank MM, Amalfitano A. Recombinant adenovirus vectors activate the alternative complement pathway, leading to the binding of human complement protein C3 independent of anti-ad antibodies. Mol Ther. 2004 Dec;10(6):1140-2. (2004) Abstract

Frank MM. Hereditary angioedema: a half century of progress. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004 Sep;114(3):626-8. (2004) Abstract

Cunnion KM, Benjamin DK Jr, Hester CG, Frank MM. Role of complement receptors 1 and 2 (CD35 and CD21), C3, C4, and C5 in survival by mice of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. J Lab Clin Med. 2004 Jun;143(6):358-65. (2004) Abstract

Cunnion KM, Zhang HM, Frank MM. Availability of complement bound to Staphylococcus aureus to interact with membrane complement receptors influences efficiency of phagocytosis. Infect Immun. 2003 Feb;71(2):656-62. (2003) Abstract

Cunnion KM, Frank MM. Complement activation influences Staphylococcus aureus adherence to endothelial cells. Infect Immun. 2003 Mar;71(3):1321-7. (2003) Abstract

Watford WT, Smithers MB, Frank MM, Wright JR. Surfactant protein A enhances the phagocytosis of C1q-coated particles by alveolar macrophages. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2002 Nov;283(5):L1011-22. (2002) Abstract

McCann WA, Frank MM, Cox F, Ownby DR. Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis in a fully immunized 2-year-old. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2002 Jun;88(6):551-5. (2002) Abstract

Frank MM. The "neurotic" edema: the parent disease and its offspring. Am J Med. 2002 Aug 15;113(3):249-51. (2002) Abstract

Watford WT, Wright JR, Hester CG, Jiang H, Frank MM. Surfactant protein A regulates complement activation. J Immunol. 2001 Dec 1;167(11):6593-600. (2001) Abstract

Wagner E, Frank MM, Smialowicz RJ. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and natural immunity: lack of an effect on the complement system in a guinea pig model. Toxicology. 2001 Feb 21;159(1-2):107-13. (2001) Abstract

Jiang H, Wagner E, Zhang H, Frank MM. Complement 1 inhibitor is a regulator of the alternative complement pathway. J Exp Med. 2001 Dec 3;194(11):1609-16. (2001) Abstract

Frank MM. Annihilating host defense. Nat Med. 2001 Dec;7(12):1285-6. (2001) Abstract

Cunnion KM, Lee JC, Frank MM. Capsule production and growth phase influence binding of complement to Staphylococcus aureus. Infect Immun. 2001 Nov;69(11):6796-803. (2001) Abstract

Frank MM. Complement deficiencies. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2000 Dec;47(6):1339-54. (2000) Abstract

Frank MM, Miletic VD, Jiang H. Immunoglobulin in the control of complement action. Immunol Res. 2000;22(2-3):137-46. (2000) Abstract

Wagner E, Platt JL, Howell DN, Marsh HC Jr, Frank MM. IgG and complement-mediated tissue damage in the absence of C2: evidence of a functionally active C2-bypass pathway in a guinea pig model. J Immunol. 1999 Sep 15;163(6):3549-58. (1999) Abstract

Daggett CW, Yeatman M, Lodge AJ, Chen EP, Linn SS, Gullotto C, Frank MM, Platt JL, Davis RD. Total respiratory support from swine lungs in primate recipients. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1998 Jan;115(1):19-27. (1998) Abstract