George Agak
/in /by SOFIA
Email Address:
gagak@mednet.ucla.edu
Office Phone Number:
(310) 206-2554
Lab website
Lab website
Office Address:
BSRB 246G
Assistant Professor-in-Residence, Medicine-Dermatology
Our research focuses on the molecular events that induce immune responses to skin bacteria. We are particularly interested in understanding how the immune system detects Cutibacterium acnes, and how it responds when there is dysbiosis within the skin microbiome. To dissect the mechanistic details of innate and adaptive immunity, we use all tools of modern research including high-throughput technologies to define the immune landscape of both healthy and diseased skin tissues as well as the metagenomic analysis of the skin microbiome. We also use high-affinity capture of macromolecular complexes (cellular interactomes) coupled with high-affinity mass spectrometry-based proteomics to characterize interactions between skin bacteria and immune cells.
The Agak Lab has extensive collaborators at UCLA, around the country and overseas and is deeply involved in translational studies moving research from the bench to the bedside with the goal of developing novel therapies and probiotics for skin diseases.
A selected list of publications:
Agak GW, Villard FGV, Nebie I, Sirima SB, Felger I, Smith T, Backer V, Kajava AV, and Corradin G. “a-helical coiled based selection of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocytic malaria vaccine candidates.” PLoS ONE. 2007 July 25; 2:e645.
Agak GW, Bejon P, Fegan G, Gicheru N, Villard V, Kajava A, Marsh K, and Corradin G. “Longitudinal analyses of immune responses to Plasmodium falciparum-derived peptides corresponding to novel blood state antigens in coastal Kenya.” Vaccine. 2008 Apr 7; 26(16):1963-71. PMID: 18342997
Agak GW, Olugbile S, Villard V, Bertholet S, Jafarshad A, Kulangara C, Roussilhon C, Frank G, Felger I, Nebie I, Konate K, Kajava AV, Schuck P, Druilhe P, Spertini F, and Corradin G. “Malaria vaccine candidate: Design of a multivalent subunit α-helical coiled coil poly-epitope.”Vaccine. 2011 Sept 16; 29(40):7090-9. PMID: 21803099.
Agak GW, Min Q, Nobe J, Myung-Hwa K, Krutzik S, Tristan GR, Elashoff D, Garbán HJ, and Kim J. “Propionibacterium acnes induces and Interleukin-17 response in acne vulgaris that is regulated by vitamin A and D.” J Invest Dermatol. 2014 Feb; 134(2):366-373. PMID: 23924903.
Agak GW, Schmidt NW, Deshayes S, Yu Y, Blacker A, Champer J, Xian W, Kasko AM, Kim J, and Wong GCL. “Pentobra: A potent antibiotic with multiple layers of selective antimicrobial mechanisms against Propionibacterium acnes.” J Invest Dermatol. 2015 Jun; 136 (6):1581-1589. PMID: 25668237.
Qin M, Landriscina A, Rosen J, Agak GW, Kao S, Wei G, Blecher K, Bonventre J, Clendaniel A, Harper ST, Adler B, Friedman J, Nosanchuk J, Kim J, and Friedman AJ. “Nitric Oxide Releasing Nanoparticles Prevent Propionibacterium acnes Induced Inflammation by both Clearing the Organism and Inhibiting Microbial Stimulation of the Innate Immune Response.” J Invest Dermatol. 2015 Nov; 135(11):2723-2731. PMID: 26172313
Hisaw LD, Qin M, Park A, Agak GW, Pirouz A, Phan J, Fernandez C, Garbán HJ, Nelson A, Thiboutot D, and Kim J. Antimicrobial Activity of Sebocytes against Propionibacterium acnes via Toll-Like Receptor 2 and Lysosomal Pathway. J Invest Dermatol. 2016 Oct; 136(10):2098-101. PMID: 27375109
Yu Y, Champer J, Agak GW, Kao S, Modlin RL, and Kim J. Different Propionibacterium acnes Phylotypes Induce Distinct Immune Responses and Express Unique Surface and Secreted Proteomes. J Invest Dermatol. 2016 Nov; 136(11):2221-2228. PMID: 27377696. The author was a trainee supervised by the candidate
Agak GW, Park AJ, Qin, M, Hisaw, LD, Pirouz A, Marinelli LJ, Liu P, Garbán HJ, and Kim J. (December/2017). “G2A attenuates Propionibacterium acnes induction of inflammatory cytokines in human monocytes. Ann. Dermatol. 2017 Dec; 29 (6):688-698. PMID: 29200756.
Agak GW, Kao S, Moon D, Ouyang K, Qin M, Butt A, and Kim J. Phenotype and antimicrobial activity of Th17 cells induced by Propionibacterium acnes strains associated with healthy and acne skin. J Invest Dermatol. 2018 Feb; 138(2):316-324. PMID: 28864077.
