Yale School of Medicine

Dermatology

Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine

Dermatology
PO Box 208030
New Haven, CT 06520-8030

Michael Girardi, M.D.

Michael Girardi, M.D.

Residency Director & Associate Professor

Clinical Interests

General dermatology, lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL), basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, immunotherapy.

Clinical Research Interests

Transimmunization. Transimmunization was developed as a treatment for immunogenic of cancers and T cell mediated immunologic disorders. It involves the efficient transfer of disease-associated antigens to dendritic antigen presenting cells which initiate immunization against these antigens. Transimmunization is currently an experimental therapy and is being tested in several clinical settings, ranging from immunogenic cancers to autoimmune diseases. Photopheresis, the immunotherapy Transimmunization is intended to replace, is currently available in more than 150 tertiary care medical centers worldwide and has been administered more than 250,000 times.

Laboratory Research

T Cell Regulation of Cutaneous Malignancy. That the immune system plays a role in the tumor surveillance of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is supported by several data obtained from clinical observation of immunosuppressed transplantation-recipient patients, the cellular infiltration observed in sections of SCC, and experimental murine models of SCC. We are analyzing the relative roles of T cell subsets in the oncogenesis, tumor surveillance, and tumor rejection of SCC by utilizing the crossbreeding of genetically engineered mice. Specifically, there are three experimental murine models being studied: (1) injection of transplantable squamous cell carcinoma cells line into immune knockout mice, (2) the crossbreeding of immune knockout mutations onto tumor-susceptible genetic backgrounds, and (3) the crossbreeding of skin-specific ras transgenic mice with immune knockout mice.

Board Certification:
American Academy of Dermatology
Education:
 B.S. (Biology) and B.A. (Computer Science), Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 1988
M.D., Yale Univeristy School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 1992
Training:
 Intern, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, 1992-93.
Research Fellowship, Immunobiology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1994-95.
Dermatology Resident, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, 1994-97.

Selected Publications

  • Strid J, Roberts S, Filler R, Kwong B, Kaplan D, Hayday A, Girardi M.  Acute NKG2D-ligand upregulation promotes rapid reorganization of a local immune compartment with pleiotropic effects on carcinogenesis.  Nature Immunology 2008.  In press.
  • Roberts S, Ng B, Filler R, Lewis J, Hayday A, Tigelaar R, Girardi M.  Characterizing tumor-promoting T cells in chemically induced cutaneous carcinogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 17;104(16):6770-5.
  • Wakabayashi Y, Mao JH, Brown K, Girardi M, Balmain A. Promotion of Hras-induced squamous carcinomas by a polymorphic variant of the Patched gene in FVB mice. Nature 2007; 445(7129):761-5.
  • Lewis JM, Girardi M, Roberts SJ, D Barbee S, Hayday AC, Tigelaar RE. Selection of the cutaneous intraepithelial gammadelta+ T cell repertoire by a thymic stromal determinant. Nat Immunol. 2006;  7:843-50.
  • Girardi M, Berger C, Wilson L, Thompson K, Edelson R.  Transimmunization for cutaneous T cell lymphoma: A phase I study.  Leuk. Lymphoma 2006;  47:1495-1503.
  • Girardi M, Lewis JM, Filler RB, Hayday AC, Tigelaar RE. Environmentally responsive and reversible regulation of epidermal barrier function by gamma/delta T cells. J Invest Dermatol. 2006; 26:808-14.
  • Oppenheim DE, Roberts SJ, Clarke SL, Filler R, Lewis JM, Tigelaar RE, Girardi M, Hayday AC. Sustained localized expression of ligand for the activating NKG2D receptor impairs natural cytotoxicity in vivo and reduces tumor immunosurveillance. Nat Immunol. 2005 9:928-37.
  • Hayday AC, Girardi M. Immunosurveillance by gamma/delta T cells: Focus on the murine system. Chem Immunol Allergy. 2005;86:136-50.
  • Girardi M , Hayday AC. Immunosurveillance by gamma/delta T cells: focus on the murine system. Chem Immunol Allergy. 2005;86:136-50.
  • Girardi M, Oppenheim D, Lewis J, Filler R, Tigelaar RE, Hayday AC. Characterizing the protective component of the ab T cell response to transplantable squamous cell carcinoma. J Invest Dermatol 2004, 122:699-706
  • Girardi M, Heald PW, Wilson LD. Medical Progress: The pathogenesis of mycosis fungoides. N Engl J Med. 2004; 350:1978-88.
  • Girardi M, et al. Medical Progress: The pathogenesis of mycosis fungoides. N Engl J Med. 2004; 350(19):1978-88.
  • Girardi M, et al. Selective immunotherapy through extracorporeal photochemotherapy: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America, 2004.
  • Girardi M, et al. Characterizing the protective component of the alpha/beta T cell response to transplantable squamous cell carcinoma. J Invest Dermatol 2004, 122(3):699-706.
  • Girardi M, Glusac E, Filler R, Tigelaar R, Hayday A. The distinct contributions of murine TCRgd+ and TCRab+ T cells to different stages of chemically-induced skin cancer. J Exp Med 2003; 198:747-755.
  • Gao Y, Yang W, Pan M, Scully E, Girardi M, Augenlicht LH, Craft J, Yin Z. Gamma/delta T cells provide an early source of interferon gamma in tumor immunity. J Exp Med 2003;198:433-442.
  • Girardi M, Sherling MA, Filler R, Shires J, Theodoridis E, Hayday AC, Tigelaar RE. Anti-inflammatory effects in the skin of thymosin-b4 splice-variants.  Immunology 2003, 109:1-7.
  • Girardi M, et al. The distinct contributions of murine TCRgamm/delta+ and TCRalpha/beta+ T cells to different stages of chemically-induced skin cancer. J Exp Med 2003; 198(5):747-755.
  • Girardi M , Taraszka K. “Treatment of Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma: Advances in Understanding Disease Behavior and Implications for Management” in Yearbook in Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, New York, 2003, Ed. B. Theirs, Mosby, pp. 1-26.
  • Girardi M, Lewis J, Glusac E, Filler RB, Geng L, Hayday AC, Tigelaar RE. Resident skin-specific gd T cells provide local regulation of cutaneous inflammation. J Exp Med 2002; 195:855-867.
  • Girardi M, Berger C, Hanlon D, Edelson RL.  Efficient tumor antigen loading of dendritic antigen presenting cells by Transimmunization.  Tech Cancer Res Treatment 2002; 1:65-69.
  • Berger CL, Hanlon D, Kanada D, Girardi M, Edelson RL. Transimmunization, a novel approach for tumor immunotherapy. Transfusion Apheresis Sci 2002; 26(3): 205-216.
  • Girardi M , Schechner J, Glusac E, Berger C, and Edelson R. Transimmunization and the evolution of extracorporeal photochemotherapy, Transfusion Apheresis Sci 2002; 26(3): 181-190.
  • Girardi M, Oppenheim D, Lewis J, Filler R, Tigelaar RE, Hayday AC. The regulation of squamous cell carcinoma development by gd T cells. Science 2001; 294:605-609.
  • Girardi M, et al. The regulation of squamous cell carcinoma development by gamma/delta T cells. Science 2001; 294:605-609.
  • Berger CL, Longley J, Hanlon D, Girardi M, Edelson R. The clonotypic T cell receptor is a source of tumor-associated antigens in cutaneous T cell lymphoma. Annals NY Acad Sci 2001; 941:106-122.
  • Knobler R. Girardi M. Extracorporeal photochemoimmunotherapy in cutaneous T cell lymphomas. Annals NY Acad Sci 2001; 941:123-138.
  • Girardi M , Oppenheim D, Lewis J, Filler R, Tigelaar RE, Hayday AC. The regulation of cutaneous malignancy by alpha/beta T cells. Science 2001; 294:605-609.

Selected Clinical Publications

  • Girardi M, Taraszka K. “Treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphoma: Advances in understanding disease behavior and implications for management” in Yearbook in Dermatology (Ed. B. Theirs), 2003.
  • Girardi M, Knobler R, Edelson R. Selective immunotherapy through extracorporeal photochemotherapy: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America (Ed. M. Demierre), 2003.
  • Girardi M, Berger C, Hanlon D, Edelson RL. Efficient tumor antigen loading of dendritic antigen presenting cells by transimmunization. Tech Cancer Res Treatment, 1:65-69, 2002
  • Girardi M, Schechner J, Glusac E, Berger C, and Edelson R. Transimmunization and the evolution of extracorporeal photochemotherapy, Transfusion Apheresis Sci, 26(3): 181-190, 2002.

Selected Laboratory Publications

  • Girardi M, Sherling MA, Filler RB, Shires J, Theodoridis E, Hayday AC, Tigelaar RE. Anti-inflammatory effects in the skin of thymosin-beta4 splice-variants. Immunology 109(1):1-7, 2003.
  • Girardi M, Lewis J, Glusac E, Filler RB, Geng L, Hayday AC, Tigelaar RE. Resident skin-specific gamma/delta T cells provide local, nonredundant regulation of cutaneous inflammation. J Exp Med 195(7):855-67, 2002.
  • Girardi M, Oppenheim D, Lewis J, Filler R, Tigelaar RE, Hayday AC. The regulation of squamous cell carcinoma development by gamma/delta T cells. Science 294:605-609, 2001.

Curriculum Vitae

Contact

Campus Address
Yale School of Medicine
333 Cedar Street
New Haven, CT 06520-8059

Office Address
Yale Dermatology Associates, P.C.
2 Church Street South, Suite 305
New Haven, CT 06519

E-mail
girardi@yale.edu

Office Phone
(203) 785-4092