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Research  Interests

These fall into three major areas:

  • The HLA 
  • Cell-Cell Adhesion/Signalling
  • HIV Vaccine Development

Selected Book Publications of Distinction and High Impact 

2006  
  Book: Jamison DT., Feachem RG., Makgoba MW., et al. (2006). “Disease and Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa”. 2nd Edition The World Bank.
This World Bank publication is a major influence in National Health and Policy formulation and planning worldwide for a period of 15 years

2001  
  The MRC Technical Report Commissioned & Fore worded: Dorrington R., Bourne D., D., et al September 2001.“The impact of HIV/AIDS On Adult mortality in South Africa”

2004  
  Foreword: Fassin, D., 2004. “Afflictions L’Afrique du sud, de l’apartheid au sida”. Kathala publication

1998
 
  African Renaissance: The New Struggle edited MW Makgoba, published by Tafelberg/Mafube, 1998.

Regarded as the only authoritative reference text on the subject of the African Renaissance.

1997
 
  Makgoba MW. Mokoko: The Makgoba Affair-a reflection on transformation 1997. Vivlia Publications.
Short-listed for the Sunday Times Literary Award, the Alan Paton Prize 1998

 

Selected Peer-reviewed Publications of Distinction and High Impact 

2003  
 

Klaussner, RD., Fauci, AS. Cory L., et al. 2003. “The Need for a Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise”. Science 300:1-5. (124 citations)

2002  
 

Nabel, G., Makgoba, W., Esparza, J., 2002. “HIV-1 Diversity and Vaccine Development”. Science 296:2335. (36 citations)


These articles are important in the global coherent approach to HIV vaccine research and development

2000
 
 

Makgoba, M.W., 2000. HIV/AIDS: The Peril of Pseudoscience. Science 288:1171 (10 citations


This article anchored the public health policy debates on HIV/AIDS causation and treatment in South Africa.

1993
 
  Adams, S.A., de Jager, C.A., Robson, S.C., Shephard, E.G., Santhar, A., Gathiram, V., Jackson, T.F.H.G., Kirsch, R.E., Makgoba, M.W., (1993). Amoebic cell surface glycoproteins share a common epitope with human beta-2integrins.  The Lancet 341:17-19. 
  This paper on the Adhesion Molecule LFA-1 and its potential evolutionary relationship with an amoebic cell surface glycoprotein was selected for permanent display in the British National Museum of Science and Industry in the "Health Matters Gallery - Modem medicine and the search for better health" to inform and popularise state of the art Science in 20th Century, 1994

1993
 
  Adams, S.A., de Jager, C.A., Robson, S.C., Shephard, E.G., Sathar, A., Gathiram, V., Jackson, T.F.H.G., Kirsch, R.E., Makgoba, M.W., 1993. Amoebic cell surface glycoproteins share a common epitope with human ß2integrins.This paper was awarded the Best Basic Science Presentation Prize at the Annual Meeting of SA Gastroenterology. 

1991  
  Seth, R., Raymond, F., Makgoba, M.W., 1991. Circulating human 1CAM- 1 Isoforms. New diagnostic prospects for inflammatory and immune-related diseases. The Lancet ii: 83-84. (Classic publication with 367 Citations) 
  This article provided the first evidence that isoforms of the adhesion/ signaling molecule (ICAM-1) circulate in plasma and the circulating levels of isoform patterns might vary with inflammation and in different pathological states. This became the basis to the development of Adhesion molecule immunoassays for diagnostic purposes and the search for other circulating isoforms of other adhesion/signaling molecules.

1989
 
  Sanders, M.E., Makgoba, M.W., June, C.H., Young, H.A., Shaw, S., 1989. Enhanced Responsiveness of Human Memory T-Cells to CD2 and CD3 Receptor- Mediated Activation.  European Journal of Immunology 19:803-808.  (153 citations) 
  This follow up paper to the Sanders et al Journal of Immunology paper describing human memory and naïve T-cell phenotypes added to the overall story by documenting differences in CD3 and CD3 receptor mediated activation responses, with memory T-cells having enhanced responsiveness to these signals relative to naïve T-cells.

1989
 
  Weetman, A.P., Cohen, S., Makgoba, M.W., Borysiewicz, L.K.1989. Expression of an intercellular adhesion molecule, ICAM-1, by human thyroid cells”.  J.Endocrin.122: 185-191. (150)*** 

1989
 
 

Patarroyo, M., Makgoba, M.W. 1989. “Leukocyte adhesion to cells: Molecular basis, physiological relevance and abnormalities”. Scand.J.Immunol.30: 129-15.164. (148)***


1989
 
 
Makgoba, M.W., Sanders, M.E., Shaw, S. 1989. “The CD2-LFA-3 and LFA-1-ICAM-1 pathways: relevance to T cell recognition”. Immunol.Tod.10: 417-422. (Classic publication with 277 citations)
This invited peer reviewed review article covering the state of understanding of the first two described leukocyte adhesion pathways became a highly cited reference in the field.

1988
 
 

Makgoba, M.W., Sanders, M.E., Luce, G.E.G., Dustin, M.L., Springer, T.A.,Clark, E.A., Mannoni, P., Shaw, S., (1988).  ICAM-1 a ligand for LFA-1 -dependent adhesion of B-Cells, T-Cells and Myeloid Cells.  Nature: 331:86-88, 1988.  (Classic publication with 581 citations)


The first biochemical demonstration that purified ICAM-1 protein specific binding to LFA-1 on B-lymphocytes, T-lymphocytes, and myeloid cells mediates adhesion.  LFA-1 binding to ICAM-1 was the second heterologous integral membrane protein receptor-ligand relationship documented in biology.

1988
 
  Simmons, D., Makgoba, M.W., Seed, B., 1988. ICAM and adhesion ligand of LFA-1, is homologous to NCAM. Nature 331:624-626. (Classic publication with 618 Citations) 

The article provided another first biochemical evidence that ICAM-1 is the ligand for LFA-1 and that an adhesion molecule of the integrin supergene family binds to an adhesion molecule of the immunoglobulin supergene family.

1988
 
  Sanders, M.E., Makgoba, M.W., Sussman, E.H., Luce, G.E.G., Cossman, J., Shaw, S., 1988. Molecular Pathways of Adhesion in Spontaneous Rosetting of T-Lymphocytes to the Hodgkin's Cell Line L428.  Cancer Research 48:37-40,1988. (39 citations) 
The first demonstration that CD2 and LFA-1 on T-cells binding respectively to LFA-3 and ICAM-1 on Hodgkin’s Reed Sternberg cells explained the decades old observation of lymphocyte rosetting to RS cells

1988
 
  Makgoba, M.W., Sanders, M.E., Luce, G.E.G., Gugel, E.A., Dustin, M.L., Springer, T.A., Shaw, S. 1988. Functional evidence that intercellular adhesion molecule-1 is a ligand for LFA-1 in cytotoxic T cell recognition.  Eur.J.1mmunol.18: 637- 640. (Classic publication with 350 citations) 
  This follow up paper to the Makgoba et al Nature paper describing the LFA-1-ICAM-1 receptor ligand system, added the first functional evidences to the overall story, by demonstrating that LFA-1-ICAM-1 interaction was critical to antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity.

1988
 
  Sanders, M.E., Makgoba, M.W., Sharrow, S.O., Stephany, D., Springer, T.A. Young, H.A., Shaw, S., 1988. Human Memory T-Lymphocytes Express Increased Levels of Three Cell Adhesion Molecules (LFA-3, CD2, LFA-1) and Three Other Molecules (UCHL1, CDw29, and Pgp-1) and Have Enhanced Gamma Interferon Production. Journal of Immunology 140:1401-1407.  (Classic publication with 1001 citations) 
  This discovery of the phenotypes of human memory and naïve T-cell subsets based upon differential expression of CD45 isoforms and multiple adhesion molecules became one of the most highly cited data publications in immunology in its era.   These observations have impacted research across many fields of medicine, including infectious diseases, neurology, gastroenterology, dermatology, rheumatology, etc., and have led to the development of multiple memory T-cell adhesion molecule targeted therapeutics. This paper, according to Citation Index, was most cited in Immunology in 1989 and is one of 17 core scientific papers that formed the foundations of “Modern Structural Biology.

1988
 
  Sanders, M.E., Makgoba, M.W., Shaw, S., 1988.  Human Memory and Naive T-Lymphocyte Subsets:  A Reinterpretation and Further Characterization of Helper Inducer and Suppressor Inducer Cells.  Immunology Today 9:195-199. (Classic publication with 860 citations) 
  This invited peer reviewed review article became a highly cited reference because it re-interpreted a large number of older papers reporting on so called “helper-inducer” and “suppressor-inducer” T-cells, as in fact being findings on memory and naïve T-cell subsets respectively. This paper according to Citation Index was second most cited in Immunology and "vintage/standout" paper in the Life Sciences Category in 1989.

1988
 
  Makgoba, M.W., Sanders, M.E., Ginther Luce, E.G., et al. 1988. A cluster of antibodies (RR1/1, 1,LB-2, and 84H10) that inhibit LFA- 1, dependent lymphoid and myeloid cell adhesion bind Intercellular Adhesion Molecule- 1 (ICAM-1), 13th Annual Meeting, of ASHI. A384. 
  This abstract was rated top out of 1000 abstracts and won the ASHI Travelling Award.

1987  
 

Makgoba, M.W., Shaw, S., Gugel, E.A., Sanders, M. 1987:  Human T-Cell Rosetting is mediated by LFA-3 on Autologous Erythrocytes.  Journal of Immunology 38:3587-3589. (29 citations)


Demonstration that LFA-3 on human erythrocytes specifically binds to CD2 on T-lymphocytes explained the decades old observation of T-cell rosetting with erythrocytes.  This pairing of CD2 with LFA-3 was the first heterologous integral membrane protein receptor-ligand relationship documented in biology.

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