William J. Karpus

Credentials: PhD

Position title: Professor, Dean of the Graduate School

Email: william.karpus@wisc.edu

Phone: (608) 263-1353

Address:
217 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Dr.
Madison, WI 53706

Office
217 Bascom Hall
Research Interests

My research interest has been the role of chemokines in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) as a model for multiple sclerosis (MS). We have employed the model system to understand leukocyte migration in demyelinating disease pathogenesis. Key chemokines and receptors were identified that played a role in the regulation of leukocyte migration and function using a variety of approaches including neutralizing antibody treatment and mice deficient for select chemokine ligands or receptors. These studies identified significant roles for a subset of chemokines and chemokine receptors in EAE pathogenesis and point to these factors as potential therapeutic targets for MS. Additionally, we demonstrated a role for Delta Like Ligand-mediated Notch signaling in the regulation of chemokine receptor cell surface expression that controls T cell migration to the central nervous system (CNS). I am currently not accepting new students or postdoctoral fellows.

Selected Publications
  • Laaker C, M Hsu, Z Fabry, SD Miller, WJ Karpus. Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in the Mouse. Curr Protoc. 2021 Dec;1(12):e300. doi: 10.1002/cpz1.300. PMID: 34870897
  • Karpus WJ. Cytokines and Chemokines in the Pathogenesis of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis. J Immunol. 2020 Jan 15;204(2):316-326. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900914. PMID: 31907274
  • Hsu M, A Rayasam, JA Kijak, YH Choi, JS Harding, SA Marcus, WJ Karpus, M Sandor, Z Fabry. Neuroinflammation-induced lymphangiogenesis near the cribriform plate contributes to drainage of CNS-derived antigens and immune cells. Nat Commun. 2019 Jan 16;10(1):229. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-08163-0. PMID: 30651548