Jannette M. Dufour, Ph.D. | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Jannette M. Dufour, Ph.D.

Professor

Jannette M. Dufour, Ph.D.
 

Ph.D. Genetics and Cell Biology
Washington State University
Curriculum Vitae
Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
3601 4th Street, Lubbock, TX 79430-6540
Office Phone: (806) 743-2616
jannette.dufour@ttuhsc.edu

Research Interests

Sertoli cells, Immune privilege, Transplantation, Diabetes, Islets, Gene therapy, Cell Therapy.

Current Projects

Current research is focused on the use of immunoprotective Sertoli cells in transplantation.

Transplantation of genetically modified, immune-privileged Sertoli cells
In this project, we are evaluating the feasibility of using immune-privileged Sertoli cells as a vehicle to deliver therapeutically relevant proteins. Specifically, the ability of insulin-expressing Sertoli cells to normalize blood glucose levels long-term in diabetic mice and survive after transplantation across immunological barriers.

Immune-privileged Sertoli cells as a treatment for diabetes
The objective of this project is to determine the mechanism by which Sertoli cells protect co-transplanted pancreatic islets in order to increase knowledge of what is necessary to create an immune privileged site and ultimately to improve outcomes of islet transplantation.

Selected Publications

(From 54 peer-reviewed publications) Full publications list: NCBI My Bibliography

  • Washburn RL, Kaur G, Dufour JM. 2020 Sertoli cells and complement inhibitors: a possible mechanism to increase pancreatic islet viability. Annals of Diabetes Research (in press).
  • Chung E, Campise SN, Joiner HE, Tomison MD, Kaur G, Dufour JM, Cole L, Ramalingam L, Moustaid-Moussa N, Shen CL. 2019 Effect of annatto-extracted tocotrienols and green tea polyphenols on glucose homeostasis and skeletal muscle metabolism in obese male mice. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 67:36-43.doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2019.01.021. PubMed
  • Kaur G, Thompson LA, BabcockRL, Mueller K, Dufour JM. 2018 Sertoli cells engineered to express insulin lower blood glucose in diabetic mice. DNA and Cell Biology doi: 10.1089/dna.2017.3937.Cover photo PubMed
  • Kaur G, Vadala S, Dufour JM. 2017 An overview of a Sertoli cell transplantation model to study testismorphogenesis and the role of the Sertoli cell barrier in testis immuneprivilege. Environmental Epigenetics 3:https://doi.org/10.1093/eep/dvx012. PubMed
  • AllenL, Ramalingam L, MenikdiwelaK, ScogginS, Shen CL, TomisonMD, Kaur G, Dufour JM, ChungE, Kalupahana NS, Moustaid-Moussa N. 2017 Effects of delta-tocotrienol on obesity-related adipocyte hypertrophy, inflammation, and hepatic steatosis in high fat fed mice. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry48:128-137.
  • Wright K, Dziuk R, Mital P, Kaur G, Dufour JM. 2016 Xenotransplanted neonatal pig Sertoli cells inhibit both alternative and classical pathways of complement mediated cell lysis. Cell Transplantation 25:2027-2040. PubMed
  • Franca LR, Hess RA, Dufour JM, Hofmann MC, Griswold MD. 2016 The Sertoli cell: one hundred fifty years of beauty and plasticity. Andrology 4:189-212. PubMed
  • Kaur G, Thompson LA, Dufour JM. 2015 Therapeutic potential of immune privileged Sertoli cells. Animal Reproduction12:105-117. PubMed
  • Mital P, Kaur G, Bowlin B, Paniagua NJ, Korbutt GS, Dufour JM. 2014 Nondividing, post-pubertal rat Sertoli cells resumed proliferation after transplantation. Biology of Reproduction 90:1, 13. PubMed
  • Kaur G, Thompson LA, Dufour JM. 2014 Sertoli cells: Immunological sentinels of spermatogenesis. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 30:36-44. PubMed
  • Kaur G, Thompson LA, Pasham M, Tessanne K, Long CR, Dufour JM. 2014 Sustained expression of insulin by a genetically engineered Sertoli cell line after allotransplantation in diabetic BALB/c mice. Biology of Reproduction 90:5, 109. Selected for a Commentary (Cupp AS, Sertoli cell based gene therapy. 2014 Biology of Reproduction) PubMed
  • Kaur G, Mital P, Dufour JM. 2013 Testis immune privilege- Assumptions versus facts. Animal Reproduction 10:3-15. PubMed
  • Doyle TJ, Kaur G, Putrevu SM, Dyson EL, Dyson M, McCunniff WT, Kim KH, Dufour JM. 2012 Potential genes and pathways that confer immune privilege: immunoprotective properties of Sertoli cell-enriched testicular cells. Biology of Reproduction 86:1-14. PubMed
  • Halley KR, Dyson EL, Kaur G, Mital P, Uong P, Dass B, Dufour JM. 2010 Delivery of a therapeutic protein by immune privileged Sertoli cells. Cell Transplantation 19:1645-1657. PubMed
  • Dufour JM, Dass B, Halley K, Korbutt GS, Dixon DE, Rajotte RV. 2008 Sertoli cell line lacks the immunoprotective properties associated with primary Sertoli cells. Cell Transplantation 17:525-534. Cover photo PubMed
  • Lord SJ, Sipione S, Motyka B, Ewen C, Shostak I, Rayat GR, Dufour JM, Korbutt GS, Rajotte RV, Bleackley RC. 2006 Identification of a novel human granzyme B inhibitor secreted by cultured Sertoli cells. Journal of Immunology 177:5051-5058. PubMed
  • Dufour JM, Hamilton M, Rajotte RV, Korbutt GS. 2005 Neonatal porcine Sertoli cells inhibit human natural antibody mediated lysis. Biology of Reproduction 72:1224-1231. PubMed
  • Dufour JM, Rajotte RV, Zimmerman M, Rezania A, Kin T, Dixon DE, Korbutt GS. 2005 Development of an ectopic site for islet transplantation using biodegradable scaffolds. Tissue Engineering 9/10:1323-1331. PubMed
  • Dufour JM, Hemendinger R, Halberstadt CR, Gores P, Emerich DF, Korbutt GS, Rajotte RV. 2004 Genetically engineered Sertoli cells are able to survive allogeneic transplantation. Gene Therapy 11:694-700. PubMed
  • Dufour JM, Rajotte RV, Seeberger K, Kin T, Korbutt GS. 2003 Long-term survival of neonatal porcine Sertoli cells in non- immunosuppressed rats. Xenotransplantation. 10:577-586. PubMed