Department of Population Medicine & Diagnostic Sciences at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

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Bettina Wagner

Harry M. Zweig Associate Professor in Equine Health

Dept. of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14853

bw73@cornell.edu

Our laboratory focuses on research in equine immunology. We are particularly interested in protective mechanisms and cytokine regulation during immune responses to intracellular pathogens, such as Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), allergic reactions and neonatal immunology. Other major goals are the development of advanced technologies in veterinary diagnostics and immune reagents for veterinary species.

For more information, please view the Wagner Lab web site.

Education

Patent Submissions

Honors and Awards

Research and Professional Experience

Professional Society Memberships

Selected Publications

Education

DVM	- 1990	Veterinary Medicine - School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
Dr.vet.med	- 1993	Veterinary Immunology - School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
Post-doctoral fellow	- 1994	Genetics: Isolation and characterization of IGHC genes of the horse - Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Germany
Habilitation	- 2006	Immunology - School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany

Patent Submissions

		2001			Non-disclosed patent application No. 100 64 415.5-41 submitted 12/21/00 (Germany), No. 01984722.7-2405-DE0104810 submitted 12/20/01 (European Union). “Method to generate recombinant immunoglobulins, respective DNA and expression systems and their use to generate monoclonal antibodies recognizing native immunoglobulin isotypes.” Inventors: B. Wagner, A. Radbruch and W.Leibold / applicants: School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany, DE
		2003			Non-disclosed patent application No. 10/451.078 submitted 6/19/03 (United States of America), “Desoxyribonucleic acids for coding for the equine IgE-allotype heavy chain constant region, the recombinant immunoglobulins obtained therewith and corresponding isotype-specific monoclonal antibodies and the utilization thereof.” Inventors: B. Wagner, A. Radbruch and W.Leibold / applicants: School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany, DE
		2009			Invention disclosure, application No. PCT/US09/65669, submitted 11/24/09: “Methods for monoclonal antibody production” Inventor: B. Wagner; Applicant: College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (2009)

Honors and Awards

		2002-2003			Research exchange grant from the Max Kade Foundation, Inc., New York, NY, USA
		2009-2011			Harry M. Zweig Assistant Professorship in Equine Health

Research and Professional Experience

		1994-2002			Assistant Professor of Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
		2002-2004			Visiting Professor, Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
		2004-2006			Senior Research Associate, Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
		2006-present			Assistant Professor of Immunology, Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
		2006-present			Director of Automated Serology, Animal Health Diagnostic Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

Professional Society Memberships

		2001-present			Member of the DGfI (German Society of Immunology)
		June 2003			Co-organizer, Havemeyer Foundation Workshop, “Genomic Applications to Equine Immunity,” Cornell University, June 19-22, 2003
		2004-present			Member of the American Association of Immunologists (AAI)
		2005-2008			Member of the AAI Veterinary Immunology Committee
		2008-present			Member of the American Association of Veterinary Immunologists (AAVI)
		2010-present			Editorial Advisory Board, Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology

Selected Publications

Peer-reviewed articles out of 51 total
	1.	Wagner B, Siebenkotten G, Leibold W and Radbruch A. 1997. Organization of the equine immunoglobulin constant heavy chain genes. I. ce and ca genes. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 60: 1 - 13.
	2.	Wagner B, Overesch G, Sheoran AS, Holmes MA, Richards C, Leibold W and Radbruch A. 1998. Organization of the equine immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region genes. III. Alignment of cµ, cg, ce and ca genes. Immunobiol., 199: 105-119.
	3.	Wagner B, Siebenkotten G, Radbruch A and Leibold W. 2001. Nucleotide sequence and restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the equine ce gene. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 82: 193-202.
	4.	Wagner B, Greiser-Wilke I, Wege A, Radbruch A and Leibold W. 2002. Evolution of the six equine IGHG genes and corresponding immunoglobulin gamma heavy chains. Immunogenetics, 54: 353-364.
	5.	Wagner B, Siebenkotten G, Leibold W and Radbruch A. 2002. Expression of a 4-(Hydroxy-3-nitro-phenyl) acetyl (NP) specific equi-murine IgE antibody that mediates histamine release in vitro and a type I skin reaction in vivo. Equine Vet. J., 34: 657-665.
	6.	Wagner B, Radbruch A, Rohwer J and Leibold W. 2003. Monoclonal anti-equine IgE antibodies with specificity for different epitopes on the immunoglobulin heavy chain of native IgE. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 92: 45-60.
	7.	Wagner B, Greiser-Wilke I and Antczak DF. 2003. Characterization of the horse (Equus caballus) IGHA gene. Immunogenetics, 55: 552-560.
	8.	Wagner B, Miller DC, Lear TL and Antczak DF. 2004. The complete map of the Ig heavy chain constant gene region reveals evidence for seven IgG isotypes and for IgD in the horse. J. Immunol., 173: 3230-3242.
	9.	Wagner B, Robeson J, McCracken M, Wattrang E and Antczak DF. 2005. Horse cytokine/IgG1 fusion proteins – mammalian expression of biologically active cytokines and a system to verify antibody specificity to equine cytokines. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 105: 1-14.
	10.	Wagner B. 2006. Immunoglobulins and immunoglobulin genes of the horse. Dev. Comp. Immunol., 30: 155-164.
	11.	Wagner B, Flaminio JBF, Hillegas J, Leibold W, Erb HN and Antczak DF. 2006. Occurrence of IgE in foals: evidence for transfer of maternal IgE by the colostrum and late onset of endogenous IgE production in the horse. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 110: 269-278.
	12.	Wagner B, Hillegas JM and Antczak DF. 2006. A monoclonal antibody to equine interleukin 4. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 110: 363-367.
	13.	Ainsworth DM, Wagner B, Franchini M, Grunig G, Erb HN and Tan J-Y. 2006. Time-dependent alterations in interleukin-8 gene expression in the bronchial epithelium of horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Am. J. Vet. Res., 67: 669-677.
	14.	Goodman LB, Wagner B, Flaminio MJ, Sussman KH, Metzger SM, Holland R and Osterrieder N. 2006. Comparison of the efficacy of inactivated combination and modified-live virus vaccines against challenge infection with neuropathogenic equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). Vaccine, 24: 3636-3645.
	15.	Wagner B, Miller WH, Morgan EE, Hillegas JM, Erb HN, Leibold W and Antczak DF. 2006. IgE and IgG antibodies in skin allergy of the horse. Vet. Res., 37: 813-825.
	16.	Morgan EE, Miller WH and Wagner B. 2007. A comparison of intradermal testing and detection of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in horses affected with skin hypersensitivity. Vet. Immunol Immunopathol., 120: 160-167.
	17.	Ainsworth DM, Wagner B, Erb HN, Young JC and Retallick DE. 2007. Effects of in vitro exposure to hay dust on expression of interleukin-17, -23,-8, and -1b and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 by pulmonary mononuclear cells isolated from horses chronically affected with recurrent airway disease. Am. J. Vet. Res., 68: 1361-1369.
	18.	Lewis MJ, Wagner B and Woof JM. 2008. Different effector function capabilities of seven equine IgG subclasses have implications for vaccine strategies. Mol. Immunol., 45: 818-827.
	19.	Wagner B, Glaser A, Hillegas JM, Erb HN, Gold C and Freer H. 2008. Monoclonal antibodies to equine IgM improve the sensitivity of West Nile virus-specific IgM detection in horses. Vet. Immunol Immunopathol., 122: 46-56.
	20.	Wagner B, Hillegas JM, Brinker DR, Horohov DW and Antczak DF. 2008. Characterization of monoclonal antibodies to equine interleukin-10 and detection of T regulatory 1 cells in horses. Vet. Immunol Immunopathol., 122: 57-64.
	21.	Wagner B, Hillegas JM, Flaminio MJBF and Wattrang E. 2008. Monoclonal antibodies to equine interferon-a (IFN-a): New tools to neutralize IFN activity and to detect secreted IFN-a. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 125: 315-325.
	22.	Wagner B, Childs BA and Erb HN. 2008. A histamine release assay to identify sensitization to Culicoides allergens in horses with skin hypersensitivity. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 126: 302-308.
	23.	Wagner B and Freer H. 2009. Development of a bead-based multiplex assay for simultaneous quantification of cytokines in horses. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 127: 242-248.
	24.	Reyner CL, Wagner B, Young JC and Ainsworth DM. 2009. Effects of in vitro exposure to hay dust on expression of interleukin-23, -17, -8, -1ß, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 by pulmonary mononuclear cells isolated from horses acutely affected with recurrent airway disease (RAO). Am. J. Vet. Res., 70: 1277-1283.
	25.	Wagner B. 2009. IgE in horses: Occurrence in health and disease. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 132: 21-30.
	26.	Wagner B, Miller WH, Erb HN, Lunn DP, Antczak DF. 2009. Sensitization of skin mast cells with IgE antibodies to Culicoides allergens occurs frequently in clinically healthy horses. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 132: 53-61.
	27.	Burton AB, Wagner B, Erb HN and Ainsworth DM. 2009. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 concentrations in normal and septic neonatal foals. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 132: 122-128.
	28.	Mestre A, Noronha L, Wagner B and Antczak D. 2010. Split immunological tolerance to trophoblast. Int. J. Dev. Biol., 54: 445-455.
	29.	Wagner B, Stokol T and Ainsworth DM. 2010. Induction of interleukin-4 production in neonatal IgE+ cells after crosslinking of maternal IgE. Dev. Comp. Immunol., 34: 436-444.
	30.	Wagner B, Burton A and Ainsworth DM. 2010. Interferon-gamma, interleukin-4 and interleukin-10 production by T helper cells reveals intact Th1 and regulatory TR1 cell activation and a delay of the Th2 cell response in equine neonates and foals. Vet. Res., online available.

Last Update January 7, 2008