Melissa Meyer, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology

Additional Roles
Assistant Professor, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program
Assistant Professor, Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences Program
Assistant Professor, Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences Program

Areas of Expertise

Basic Science, Cancer, Immunology, Inflammation

About

Dr. Meyer joined the Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences department microbiology, immunology and pathology in May 2024. She received her B.S. in genetics, cell biology and development from the University of Minnesota and Ph.D. in molecular cell biology from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Meyer completed her postdoctoral training at La Jolla Institute for Immunology. Her research program focuses on innate immune cells, specifically neutrophils, in health and cancer. She provides immunology instruction for DMU’s D.O., D.P.M., D.P.T., PA, M.S.B.S. and Ph.D. programs.

Education:
Postdoctoral Fellowship, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California, 2018-24
Ph.D., Molecular Cell Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, 2018
B.S., Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 2011

Research

Neutrophils are the most abundant cell type in the blood, but their heterogeneity is not well defined. Yet, we know they can have contrasting roles in disease. For example, in cancer, neutrophils can specifically kill tumor cells but also suppress anti-tumor T-cell responses. Further, neutrophils are important in controlling bacterial infection, leaving patients susceptible when neutrophils are non-specifically depleted in cancer treatment. My lab will work to dissect the neutrophil compartment by connecting identifiable features to specific functions in neutrophil subsets. Then, we will look for targets to modulate those subsets specifically. In so, we can target the “bad” neutrophils while leaving the “good” neutrophils behind in cancer and other diseases. Because they have a short half-life, changes in blood neutrophils could also be a sensitive biomarker indicating changes in the body. We will work to identify neutrophil subpopulation changes in the blood that can indicate cancer incidence or response to therapy. Below are three projects that are currently ongoing in the lab.

Identification of Blood Neutrophil Subsets as Biomarkers of Disease

My previous work found that CD79b+ neutrophils were elevated in the blood of melanoma patients, particularly early in the disease. We will explore CD79b+ neutrophils and other neutrophil subsets as blood-based biomarkers in other cancer types.

Understanding the Effects of Progenitors Trafficking Into the Periphery During Cancer

Neutrophils develop from progenitors in the bone marrow. During cancer, these progenitors can appear in the periphery. We will work to understand the consequences of neutrophil progenitors experiencing the periphery rather than remaining in the bone marrow during cancer.

Understanding the Role of Iron Metabolism in Neutrophil Development

My previous work identified the earliest committed human neutrophil progenitor, the eNeP. Interestingly, the eNeP expresses CD71, an iron transporter important for red blood cell development. In this project, we will explore the role of iron metabolism on neutrophil development and how interrupting iron metabolism in neutrophils can impact tumor growth.

Publications and Presentations

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Meyer MA*, Dinh HQ*, Alimadadi A, Araujo DJ, Chatterjee N, Gutierrez NA, Zhu YP, Hunter EL, Liang S, Seumois G, Kiosses WB, Catz SD, Vijayanand P, Ottensmeier C, Hedrick CC. Human CD79b⁺ neutrophils in the blood are associated with early-stage melanoma. 2023. Front. Immunol. PMID: 38022639. *Authors contributed equally.
Padgett LE, Marcovecchio PM, Olingy CE, Araujo DJ, Steel K, Dinh HQ, Alimadadi A, Zhu YP, Meyer MA, Kiosses WB, Thomas GD, Hedrick CC. Nonclassical monocytes potentiate anti-tumoral CD8+ T cell responses in the lung. 2023. Front. Immunol. PMID: 37426658.
Orecchioni M*, Meyer MA*, Hedrick CC, Ley K. Flow Cytometry and Mass Cytometry for Measuring the Immune Cell Infiltrate in Atherosclerotic Arteries. 2022. Methods Mol. Biol. PMID: 35238001. *Authors contributed equally.
Su X, Xu Y, Gox GC, Xiang J, Kwakwa KA, Davis JL, Belle JI, Lee W, Wong WH, Fontana F, Hernadex-Aya LF, Kobayashi T, Tomasson HM, Su J, Bakewell SJ, Stewart SA, Egbulefu C, Karmakar P, Meyer MA, Veis DJ, DeNardo DG, Lanza GM, Achilefu S, Weilbaecher KN. Breast cancer-derived GM-CSF regulates arginase 1 in myeloid cells to promote an immunosuppressive microenvironment. 2021. J Clin Invest. PMID: 34520398.
Dinh HQ*, Eggert T*, Meyer MA*, Zhu YP, Olingy CE, Llewellyn R, Wu R, Hedrick CC. Coexpression of CD71 and CD117 Identifies an Early Unipotent Neutrophil Progenitor Population in Human Bone Marrow. 2020. Immunity. PMID: 32814027. *Authors contributed equally.
Narasimhan PB, Eggert T, Zhu YP, Marcovecchio P, Meyer MA, Wu R, Hedrick CC. Patrolling Monocytes Control NK Cell Expression of Activating and Stimulatory Receptors to Curtail Lung Metastasis. 2020. Journal of Immunology. PMID: 31767784.
Meyer MA, Baer JM, Knolhoff BL, Nywening TM, Panni RZ, Su X, Weilbaecher KN, Hawkins WG, Ma C, Fields RC, Linehan DL, Challen GA, Faccio R, Aft RL, DeNardo DG. Breast and Pancreatic Cancer Interrupt IRF8-Dependent Dendritic Cell Development to Overcome Immune Surveillance. 2018. Nature Communications. PMID: 29593283.
Meyer MA, DeNardo DG. Better Together: B7S1 Checkpoint Blockade Synergizes with anti-PD1. 2018. PMID: 29669244.
Jiang H, Hegde S, Knolhoff BL, Zhu Y, Herndon JM, Meyer MA, Leu E, Hawkins WG, Shapiro IM, Weaver DT, Pachter JA, Wang-Gillam A, DeNardo DG. Targeting Focal Adhesion Kinase Renders Pancreatic Cancers Responsive to Checkpoint Immunotherapy. 2016. Nature Medicine. PMID: 27376576.
Su X, Esser A, Amend S, Xiang J, Xu Y, Ross M, Steri V, Roomp K, Fontana F, Hurchla M, Knolhoff B, Meyer M, Morgan E, Tomasson J, Novack J, Zou W, Faccio R, Novack D, Robinson S, Teitelbaum S, DeNardo D, Schneider J, Weilbaecher K. Integrin beta3 antagonism increases immune suppression in cancer. 2016. Cancer Research. PMID: 27216180.
D’Amico L, Mahajan S, Capietto A, Yang Z, Zamani A, Ricci B, Bumpass D, Meyer M, Su X, Wang-Gillam A, Weilbaecher K, Stewart S, DeNardo D, Faccio R. Dickkopf-related protein 1 (Dkk1) regulates the accumulation and function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in cancer. 2016. Journal of Experimental Medicine. PMID: 27045006.
Demehri S, Cunningham T, Manivasagam S, Ngo K, Tuchayi S, Reddy R, Meyer M, DeNardo D, Yokoyama W. Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin Blocks Early Stages of Breast Carcinogenesis. 2016. Journal of Clinical Investigation. PMID: 26927668.
Zhu Y, Knolhoff BL, Meyer MA, Nywening TM, West BL, Luo J, Wang-Gillam A, Goedegebuure SP, Linehan DC, DeNardo DG. CSF1/CSF1R Blockade Reprograms Tumor-Infiltrating Macrophages and Improves Response to T Cell Checkpoint Immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer Models. 2014. Cancer Research. PMID: 25082815.
Ohmine S, Singh RD, Marks DL, Meyer MA, Pagano RE, Ikeda Y. Viral Attachment Induces Rapid Recruitment of an Innate Immune Sensor (TRIM5α) to the Plasma Membrane. 2013. Journal of Innate Immunity. PMID: 23548691.

Select Presentations

Meyer MA, Stairiker C, Urban S, Hunter E, Gutierrez NA, Zulcic M, Dillon C, Thomas GD, Baaten BJ, Hedrick CC. LIGHT loss enhances response to immunotherapy in solid tumors. Mechanisms and Models of Cancer. August 2023. San Diego, CA. Short Talk.
Meyer MA, Dinh HQ, Araujo DJ, Zhu Y, Liang S, Seumois G, Catz S, Vijayanand P, Ottensmeier C, Hedrick CC. Discovery of a neutrophil subset with B cell features and the ability to modulate CD4+ T cells. Keystone Symposia: Hematopoiesis. April 2021. Online. Short Talk.
Meyer MA, Keegan H, Liu-Bryan R, Terkeltaub R, Hedrick CC. Mass Cytometry Analysis Reveals a Role for Nonclassical Monocytes in Resolution of Model Gouty Inflammation. G-CAN. November 2020. Online. Short Talk.
Meyer MA, Knolhoff B, Zhu Y, Nyweing T, Challen G, Linehan D, Faccio R, Stewart S, Aft R, DeNardo D. Tumor-induced IRF8 deficiency interrupts BATF3-dependent dendritic cell development. Keystone Symposia: Cell Plasticity within the Tumor Microenvironment. January 2017. Big Sky, MT. Short Talk.

Awards and Honors

2022-24 — KKUS Accelerator Program
2022 — Tullie and Rickey Families SPARK Award for Innovation in Immunology
2021-24 — American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship
2021 — Neutrophil 2021 Best Flash Talk Prize
2020 — G-CAN Early Career Investigator Competition Short Talk and Conference Award
2019-20 — T32 Rheumatic Disease Research Training Grant, University of California San Diego
2017 — Keystone Symposia: Cell Plasticity within the Tumor Microenvironment Travel Award
2013-15 — T32 Cancer Biology Pathway, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine