IRWIN W. SHERMAN

Professor of Biology Emeritus
Phone (858) 784-2302

E-mail: irwin.sherman@ucr.edu

Degree:
Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1960

The principal focus of our laboratory was to characterize in molecular terms the membrane structure and function of the erythrocyte infected by malaria parasites. Of particular interest was the mechanisms whereby red cells infected with the human malaria Plasmodium falciparum become adhesive. Using monoclonal antibodies, synthetic peptides and in vitro binding assays we identified an adhesive region of the erythrocyte that results from the exposure of cryptic residues of band 3 protein. Since retirement Professor Sherman has been a Visiting Scientist at the Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA 92037) and has written 4 books:

The Power of Plagues, ASM Press, 2006
Twelve Diseases That Changed Our World, ASM Press, 2007
Reflections On A Century of Malaria Biochemistry. Advances In Parasitology volume 67. Academic Press, 2008
The Elusive Malaria Vaccine. Miracle or Mirage? ASM Press, 2009

Some Representative Publications....

• Prudhomme, J.G., I.  W.  Sherman, K.  Land, A.V.  Moses, S Stenglein, and J.A.  Nelson.  1996.  Studies of Plasmodium falciparum cytoadherence using immortalized human brain capillary endothelial cells.  International Journal for Parasitology 26:647-655. 
• Guthrie, N, D.Bird, I.  Crandall, and I.  W.  Sherman.  1995.  Plasmodium falciparum: The adherence of erythrocytes infected with human malaria can be mimicked using pfalhesin-coated microspeheres.  Cell Adhesion and Communication 3:407-417. 
• I.  W.  Sherman, I.E.  Crandall, N.  Guthrie, and K.M.  Land.  1995.  The sticky secrets of sequestration.  Parasitology Today 111:378-384. 
• Crandall, I.  and I.  W.  Sherman.  1994.  Antibodies to synthetic peptides based on band 3 motifs react specifically with Plasmodium falciparum (human malaria)- infected erythrocytes and block cytoadherence.  Parasitology 108:389-396. 
• Crandall, I.  and I.  W.  Sherman.  1993.  Synthetic peptides of a region from human band 3 inhibit the cytoadherence of Plasmodium falciparum- infected erythrocytes.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 90:4703-4707. 
• Crandall, I.  and I.  W.  Sherman.  1993.  Synthetic peptides of a region from human band 3 inhibit the cytoadherence of Plasmodium falciparum- infected erythrocytes.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 90:4703-4707. 

Recent Teaching....

• Biology 40, Disease and history
• Biology 157, Parasitology