Overview
Daniel K. Choo, Ph.D., is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Biotechnology & Chemical Practice Group. He assists in the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications. Daniel’s professional expertise includes immunology, molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, virology, and vaccines.
Daniel earned his Ph.D. in immunology from Emory University under Dr. Rafi Ahmed. There, he focused on elucidating the mechanisms involved in the generation and long-term maintenance of immunological memory cells after viral infection. Daniel discovered that CD4 T cell help is not necessary for the long-term survival of antigen-specific memory CD8 T cells. Upon the completion of his graduate work, Daniel worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania where he helped develop DNA vaccines against the human respiratory syncytial virus and the hepatitis B virus.
Daniel received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of North Carolina School of Law. During law school, Daniel was a member of the North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology and the Carolina Intellectual Property Law Association. He earned his B.A. in biology and classics from Franklin and Marshall College.
Technical Publications
- Yan J, Tingey C, Lyde R, Gorham TC, Choo DK, Muthumani A, Myles D, Weiner LP, Kraynyak KA, Reuschel EL, Finkel TH, Kim JJ, Sardesai NY, Ugen KE, Muthumani K, Weiner DB. (2014). Novel and enhanced anti-melanoma DNA vaccine targeting the tyrosinase protein inhibits myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tumor growth in a syngeneic prophylactic and therapeutic murine model. Cancer Gene Ther. 21(12):507.
- Obeng-Adjei N, Choo DK, Weiner DB. (2013). Hydrodynamic immunization leads to poor CD8 T-cell expansion, low frequency of memory CTLs and ineffective antiviral protection. Cancer Gene Ther. 20(10):552.
- Villarreal DO, Talbott KT, Choo DK, Shedlock DJ, Weiner DB. Synthetic DNA vaccine strategies against persistent viral infections. Expert Rev Vaccines. 12(5):537.
- Obeng-Adjei N, Choo DK, Saini J, Yan J, Pankhong P, Parikh A, Chu JS, Weiner DB. (2012). Synthetic DNA immunogen encoding hepatitis B core antigen drives immune response in liver. Cancer Gene Ther. 19(11):779.
- Muthumani K, Shedlock DJ, Choo DK, Fagone P, Kawalekar OU, Goodman J, Bian CB, Ramanathan AA, Atman P, Tebas P, Chattergoon MA, Choo AY, Weiner DB. (2011). HIV-mediated phosphatidylinositol 3- kinase/serine-threonine kinase activation in APCs leads to programmed death-1 ligand upregulation and suppression of HIV-specific CD8 T cells. J Immunol. 187(6):2932.
- Choo DK, Murali-Krishna K, Antia R, Ahmed R. (2010). Homeostatic turnover of virus-specific memory CD8 T cells occurs stochastically and is independent of CD4 T cell help. J Immunol. 185(6):3436.
- Masopust D, Choo DK, Vezys V, Wherry EJ, Duraiswamy J, Akondy R, Wang J, Casey KA, Barber DL, Kawamura KS, Fraser KA, Webby RJ, Brinkmann V, Butcher EC, Newell KA, Ahmed R. (2010). Dynamic T cell migration program provides resident memory within intestinal epithelium. J Exp Med. 207(3):553.
- Kutzler MA, Robinson TM, Chattergoon MA, Choo DK, Choo AY, Choe PY, Ramanathan MP, Parkinson R, Kudchodkar S, Tamura Y, Sidhu M, Roopchand V, Kim JJ, Pavlakis GN, Felber BK, Waldmann TA, Boyer JD, Weiner DB. (2005). Co-immunization with an optimized IL-15 plasmid results in enhanced function and longevity of CD8 T cells that are partially independent of CD4 T cell help. J Immunol. 175(1):112.
- Choo AY, Choo DK, Kim JJ, Weiner DB. DNA vaccination in immunotherapy of cancer. Cancer Treat Res. 2005; 123:137-56.
- Yang JS, Ramanathan MP, Muthumani K, Choo AY, Jin SH, Yu QC, Hwang DS, Choo DK, Lee MD, Dang K, Tang W, Kim JJ, Weiner DB. (2002). Induction of inflammation by West Nile virus capsid through the caspase-9 apoptotic pathway. Emerg Infect Dis. 8(12):1379.
Education
- J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law, cum laude
- Ph.D., Immunology, Emory University
- B.A., Biology and Classics, Franklin & Marshall College