About

Elisha A Cohen is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Illinois. His research focuses on issues related to police social sciences, including police racial bias in decision-making, the impact of officer-involved shootings on citizen-government contact, and the effects of federal funding and military equipment on crime reduction. His work involves analyzing the decision to shoot by police officers, examining racial biases, and exploring the broader implications of police practices and federal grants on community safety and police behavior. Cohen's scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed articles published in reputable journals such as the Journal of Politics and Nature Human Behaviour, highlighting his active engagement in empirical research on policing and public policy.

Research topics

• Biology
• Computational biology
• Microbiology
• Medicine
• Immunology
• Biochemistry

Selected publications

• The epidemiology of <i>Stenotrophomonas maltophilia</i> and <i>Achromobacter xylosoxidans</i> infections

  Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology · 2024 · 3 citations

  • Microbiology
  • Medicine
  • Biology

  infections. Infections were independently associated with multiple worse outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• “Biologically Active” RNA and the Immune Response*

  CRC Press eBooks · 2020

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Biology
  • Computational biology
  • Immunology

  This chapter reviews several basic lines of evidence, assuming that two RNA-associated cellular products are involved in the experimental observations. The first, along the lines of J. S. Garvey and D. H. Campbell’s early observation, is that a fragment of the antigen originally injected retaining specific antigenic determinants and complexed intracellularly by enzymatic processes is immunogenic in precursors of antibody-forming cells, stimulating specific antibody formation. The second product is RNA alone, free of antigen. The specificity of the response resides in the RNA, which may have informational “messenger” properties, entering responsive cells, combining with ribosomes present, and directing the synthesis of specific immunoglobulins. The RNA in the extracts prepared by M. Fishman retained informational properties for antibody synthesis; the sucrose density gradient patterns of biologically active RNA revealed that it was mostly degraded. The induction and expression of an immune response could be accomplished in vitro in a brief period, using extracts of RNA from lymphoid cells exposed to antigen.

  PublisherDOI

• New strategy for the identification of tumorassociated antigens that induce therapeutic immune responses in tumor-bearing mice

  Insights in Allergy Asthma & Bronchitis · 2018-07-28

  article1st authorCorresponding
  Publisher

• Aminoacyl tRNA Synthetase–Interacting Multifunctional Protein 1 Activates NK Cells via Macrophages In Vitro and In Vivo

  The Journal of Immunology · 2017-04-06 · 21 citations

  article

  Aminoacyl tRNA synthetase-interacting multifunctional protein 1 (AIMP1) has been reported to have antitumor effects in various tumor models. However, mechanisms by which AIMP1 ameliorates tumorigenesis are not well understood. As NK cells are a major cell type involved in antitumor activities and AIMP1 is known to activate professional APCs, we determined whether AIMP1 induced NK cell activation directly or via these APCs. AIMP1 induced the expression of surface activation markers on murine NK cells in total splenocytes, although AIMP1 did not directly induce these activation markers of NK cells. The inductive effect of AIMP1 on NK cell activation disappeared in macrophage-depleted splenocytes, indicating that macrophages were required for the AIMP1-induced activation of NK cells. Furthermore, coculture experiments showed that AIMP1 activated NK cells in the presence of isolated macrophages, but failed to activate NK cells when cultured alone or with dendritic cells or B cells. Although AIMP1 significantly promoted TNF-α production by macrophages, the secreted TNF-α partially affected the NK cell activation. Transwell cocultivation analysis revealed that direct contact between macrophages and NK cells was required for the AIMP1-induced NK cell activation. In addition, AIMP1 significantly enhanced cytotoxicity of NK cells against Yac-1 cells. Furthermore, the in vivo administration of AIMP1 also induced NK cell activation systemically with a macrophage-dependent manner. Importantly, AIMP1 dramatically reduced the lung metastasis of melanoma cells, which was mediated by NK cells. Taken together, our results show that AIMP1 induces antitumor responses by NK cell activation mainly via macrophages.

  PublisherDOI

• THE APPEllARA NCEl OF NEW SPE:lCIES OF RNA IN THE M-OUSE SPLEElN AFTER IMMUNIZATION AS DETECTED BY Ml-OLECULAR

  2016-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding

  After exposure of mammalian hosts to antigens, a complex set of events occurs which results in the formation of specific antibody. Many investigators now believe that these events include -the activation of information present in the genome in latent form; however, little is known about the proportion of the genome which may be devoted to this function. Among several approaches to this problem is one which utilizes the elegant technique of molecular hybridization between complementary strands of RNA and DNA. This technique has been analyzed to follow the transcription of DNA in phageinfected bacteria,' to construct tables of evolutionary relationships between species,2 as well as to estimate the proportion of the Drosophila genome devoted to the synthesis of ribosomal RNA.' We now report the application of this technique to certain questions related to antibody formation. Materials and Methods.-Extraction of DNA: DNA was extracted from the spleens and thymus glands of 20-25 CD-1 mice (Charles River Laboratories, Charles River, Mass.) or B6AF1 mice (R. B. Jackson Laboratories, Bar Harbor, Maine) according to the techniques described by Marmur.4 The tissue was minced into approximately 10 ml cold medium 1995 and disrupted in a glass-Teflon homogenizer. After the addition of 4-5 vol of 0.15 M sodium chloride-0.1 M ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), DNA. was released from nondisrupted nuclei by the addition of 2.0 ml of 10% sodium lauryl sulfate. After heating to 65?C for several minutes, sodium perchlorate was added to a final concentration of 1.0 M, followed by an equal volume of chloroformisoamyl alcohol (24:1 v/v). The inixture was emulsified by shaking vigorously for 30 min at room temperature. After centrifugation at 10,000 rpm for 5 min, the upper aqueous layer was removed arid treated two more times with chloroform-isoamyl alcohol. Two volumes of absolute alcohol was layered over the aqueous fraction and the DNA was precipitated and removed by spooling on a glass rod. After removal of precipitated DNA, it was resolubilized in 20 ml of 0.1 X SSC (SSC is 0.15 M sodium chloride-0.015 M sodium citrate), adjusted to 2 X SSC and extracted once more with chloroform-isoamyl alcohol. The DNA was precipitated as before and after a final solubilization in 20 ml of 0.1 X SSC, was adjusted to a final concentration of 2 X SSC. The DNA in solution was denatured by heating to 95?C for 10 min. The hot solution was cooled rapidly and the concentration determined by optical density at 260 m,u. The concentration was adjusted to 10 ug DNA per milliliter with 2 X SSC. Preparation of DNA immobilized on membrane filters: DNA was fixed to nitrocellulose meinbranes (Millipore Filter Co., Bedford, Mass., 27 mm, type HA) according to the method described by Gillespie and Spiegelman.6 Ten milliliters of a solution containing 10 ug denatured DNA per milliliter was passed through a filter under gentle suction. Control filters containing the same quantity of denatured E. coli DNA (Worthington, Freehold, N. J.) or denatured salmon spermn DNA (Worthington) were prepared in the same way. Filters with undenatured mouse DNA were prepared from a DNA solution which was not boiled. Filters containing phage DNA were a gift of E. K. F. Bautz. During filtration, the DNA remained trapped in the filters. After drying at room temperatuire, the filters were dried further by heating at 80'C for 4 hr in vacuo. The filters were 1,hen stoired i;' seale( sciintiillation vials. Inmnunization of IRNA donors: CD-i. nrice were immunized by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 0.1 ml of a suspenisionof washed sheep erythrocytes. The mice were maiintainied in air-c(oiiditioned rooms and fed Purina mouse chow and water ad libitum. RNA extraction. Each immnunized inouse was given three i.p. injectioins of approximately 300

  Publisher

• Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-interacting multifunctional protein 1 suppresses tumor growth in breast cancer-bearing mice by negatively regulating myeloid-derived suppressor cell functions

  Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy · 2015-11-27 · 21 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Insights into the Process of Translating Emerging Immunologic Paradigms to Clinical Trial in Patients with Cancer

  WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks · 2014-03-14

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• New strategy for the identification of therapeutic lung cancer antigens

  Journal of Clinical & Cellular Immunology · 2013-06-20

  article1st authorCorresponding
  Publisher

• Abstract 1583: New strategy for the identification of breast cancer antigens that induce therapeutic immune responses in tumor-bearing mice

  Cancer Research · 2012-04-01

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract This study describes a unique strategy designed to identify breast cancer antigens (TAA) that induce therapeutic immune responses in tumor-bearing mice. In a mouse model, the strategy led to the identification of growth factor receptor-bound protein 10 (Grb10) as a newly identified TAA. Grb10 is a signal transduction molecule associated with multiple transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptors. It was discovered by comparing microarrays of cellular breast cancer vaccines highly enriched for cells that induced breast cancer immunity with non-enriched vaccines. The vaccines were prepared by transferring a cDNA expression library derived from SB5b cells, a breast cancer cell line derived from a neoplasm that arose spontaneously in the mammary gland of a C3H/He mouse into LM cells, a mouse fibroblast cell line. As the transferred cDNA integrates spontaneously into the genome of the recipient cells, replicates as the cells divide, and is expressed, the vaccine could be prepared from a little as 10 micrograms of tumor tissue. Relatively few cells in the transfected cell population, however, incorporated cDNA fragments that included genes specifying TAA. (The vast majority specified normal cellular constituents.) A unique strategy was developed, therefore, to enrich the vaccine for immunotherapeutic cells. Comparative microarrays of enriched and non-enriched vaccines resulted in the identification of twenty overrepresented genes. One, the gene for Grb10, was approximately 100-fold overrepresented. To determine if Grb10 in the enriched vaccine was partly responsible for its therapeutic benefits, the gene was incorporated into an expression plasmid that was then transfected into the fibroblast cell line, which was then used as a vaccine. Mice with established breast cancer treated solely by immunization with the fibroblasts modified to express Grb10 developed robust immunity to the breast cancer cells, which, in some instances, was sufficient to result in tumor rejection. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1583. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1583

  PublisherDOI

• New clinical trial of DNA-based vaccines for patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

  Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2012-05-20

  article1st authorCorresponding

  e13034 Background: We report a new immunotherapeutic trial for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The trial to be conducted at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute is a two-stage uncontrolled non-randomized Phase IB study designed to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity and feasibility of a new vaccine, consisting of human allogeneic fibroblasts transfected with DNA derived from the patient’s own tumor. The vaccine is prepared by transfer of genomic DNA-fragments (25 kb) from the patient’s tumor into MRC-5 cells, a human embryonic fibroblast cell line. The rationale is that numerous mutant and dysregulated genes in the tumor specifying an array of patient-specific tumor antigens are expressed in a highly immunogenic form by the DNA-transfected cells. A large body of preclinical studies in tumor-bearing mice supports this approach. An IND has been issued. Cohort 1 is underway without DLT. Methods: We plan to use a two-stage trial design. Initially, 15 early-stage patients with NSCLC will be enrolled. If there is no evidence of toxicity, and &gt;3 of the initial patients show an immunologic response, the second stage of the study will be opened for the accrual of 22 additional patients. A portion of the primary tumor removed at surgery will be obtained to serve as a source of tumor-DNA. Each vaccine will contain 1 X 10E7 DNA-transfected fibroblasts. The vaccine will be lethally irradiated before it is administered. It will be injected intradermally in the Outpatient Clinic. Immunologic responses to the vaccine and to the autologous tumor will be evaluated by IFN-g secretion in ELISPOT assays prior to and after vaccination for the frequency of T-cells responsive to the autologous tumor. Additional assays will include lymphocyte proliferation determinations in response anti CD3 and anti CD28 monoclonal antibodies and the effect of the immunizations on the proportion of myeloid-derived suppressor T cells in the patient’s peripheral blood. The patients will also be evaluated before and after immunization for the capacity of their T cells to respond to activating signals delivered via the T cell receptor (TcR). Results: Vaccines have been prepared. First patient has been enrolled. Conclusions: No data to report in this early trial.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01CA055651

  NIH · $400k · 1995

• NIH Grant R01DE013970

  NIH · $1.1M · 2007

Frequent coauthors

• Terry Lichtor

  Neurological Surgery

  96 shared

• Roberta P. Glick

  89 shared

• InSug O‐Sullivan

  University of Illinois Chicago

  74 shared

• Tae Sung Kim

  Kyungpook National University

  51 shared

• Weitze Liang

  45 shared

• Amla Chopra

  41 shared

• Catherine A. Taylor

  Atlantic Cancer Research Institute

  25 shared

• Asma Mogharbel

  John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County

  25 shared