Steph Dillon, PhD

Professional Titles

• Assistant Research Professor

Research Interests

My current research centers on taking a basic and translational research approach to understanding the impact of HIV on intestinal immune cell function and on the intestinal microbiome. I also investigate how physiological aging influences gut immunity and the microbiome in people with and without HIV.

Publications

• Dillon, S., Robertson, K., Pan, S., MaWhinney, S., Meditz, A., Folkvord, J., Connick, E., McCarter, M., Wilson, CC. (2008). Plasmacytoid and myeloid dendritic cells with a partial activation phenotype accumulate in lymphoid tissue during asymptomatic, chronic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 infection. Accepted for publication. J. Acquir. Immune. Defic. Syndr.
• Activated Plasmacytoid and Myeloid Dendritic Cells Accumulate in Lymphoid Tissue During Asymptomatic, Chronic HIV-1 Infection. Stephanie Dillon, Kathryn Robertson, Samuel Pan, Samantha MaWhinney, Amie Meditz, Joy Folkvord, Elizabeth Connick, Martin McCarter, Cara Wilson. Abstract#479, 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), Boston, MA.
• Howe, R., Dillon, S., Rogers, L., McCarter, M., Kelly, C., Gonzales, R., Madinger, N. and Wilson, C. (2009). Evidence for Dendritic Cell-Dependent CD4+ T Helper-1 Type Responses to Commensal Bacteria in Normal Human Intestinal Lamina Propria. Clinical Immunology; Epub ahead of print doi:10.1016/j.clim.2008.12.003 .
• Mengshol, J.A., Golden-Mason, L., Castelblanco, N., Im, K., Dillon, S.M., Wilson, C.C and Rosen, H.R. (2009). Impaired Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Maturation and Differential Chemotaxis in Chronic HCV: Associations with Anti-viral Treatment Outcomes. Gut; Epub ahead of print: doi:10.1136/gut.2008.168948
• Howe, R., Dillon, S., Rogers, L, Palmer, B., MaWhinney, S., Blyveis, N., Rchlichtemeier, R., D’Souza, M., Ingoldby, L, Harwood, J., Rietmeijer, C., Ray, G., Connick, E., and Wilson, C. (2009) Phenotypic and Functional Characterization of HIV-1-specific CD4+CD8+ Double Positive T cells in Early and Chronic HIV-1 Infection. J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. (accepted for publication)
• Phenotypic and Functional Characterization of Human Intestinal Dendritic Cells: Breaking Immune Homeostasis Through TLR7/8 Signaling. Stephanie Dillon, Lisa Rogers, Rawleigh Howe, Lydia Hostetler, Jonathan Buhrman, Martin McCarter, Cara Wilson (2008) Denver Translational Immunology Symposium, Denver. USA
• Role of dendritic cells in MHC class II dependent activation of commensal bacteria reactive human intestinal CD4 T cells. Rawleigh Howe, Stephanie Dillon, Lisa Rogers, Martin McCarter, Cara Wilson (2008) Denver Translational Immunology Symposium, Denver. USA
• Blood Myeloid Dendritic Cells from HIV-1-infected Individuals Display a Pro-apoptotic Profile That Increases With Disease Progression. Stephanie Dillon, Laura Friedlander, Lisa Rogers, Amie Meditz, Joy Folkvord, Elizabeth Connick, Martin McCarter, Cara Wilson (2010). 17th Conference of Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, San Francisco, California, USA.
• Human intestinal lamina propria CD1c+ dendritic cells display an activated phenotype at steady state and produce IL-23 in response to TLR7/8 stimulation. Stephanie M. Dillon, Lisa M. Rogers, Rawleigh Howe, Lydia A. Hostetler, Jonathan Buhrman, Martin D. McCarter and Cara C. Wilson (2009). 10th Annual Colorado Immunology Conference, Estes Park, Colorado, USA.
• The Regulatory IL-10 Response of Blood Myeloid Dendritic Cells to E. coli is Suppressed by Co-stimulation with a Viral TLR7/8 Ligand. Jennifer Manuzak, Stephanie Dillon, Toni Schwarz, Miriam Estin, Lisa Rogers, Cara Wilson (2009). 10th Annual Colorado Immunology Conference, Estes Park, Colorado, USA.
• Human Intestinal Lamina Propria CD1c+ Dendritic Cells Display and Activated Phenotype at Steady State and Produce IL-23 in Response to TLR7/8 Stimulation. Stephanie Dillon, Lisa Rogers, Rawleigh Howe, Lydia Hostetler, Jonathan Buhrman, Martin McCarter & Cara Wilson. Journal of Immunology, 2010, 184: 6612-6621
• Blood Myeloid Dendritic Cells from HIV-1-Infected Individuals Display a Proapoptotic Profile Characterized by Decreased Bcl-2 Levels and by Caspase-3+ Frequencies that are Associated with Levels of Plasma Viremia and T cell Activation in an Exploratory Study. Stephanie Dillon, Laura Friedlander, Lisa Rogers, Amie Meditz, Joy Folkford, Elizabeth Connick, Martin McCarter & Cara Wilson. Journal of Virology, 2011, 85: 397-409
• Commensal Bacteria Enhance HIV-1 Replication Within Human Lamina Propria T cells. Stephanie M. Dillon, Martin D. McCarter & Cara C. Wilson (2010). 11th Annual Colorado Immunology Conference, Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA.
• Commensal Escherichia coli Bacteria Enhance HIV-1 Replication and Infection of IL-17-producing CD4 T cells in Human Intestinal Lamina Propria Mononuclear Cell Cultures. Stephanie Dillon, Lisa Rogers, Jennifer Manuzak, Martin McCarter & Cara Wilson. 18th Conference of Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Boston, New England, USA. 2011.
• Pro-inflammatory Blood Myeloid Dendritic Cell Cytokine Responses to Commensal Enteric Bacteria are Regulated by IL-10. Jennifer Manuzak, Stephanie Dillon, Cara Wilson. 11th Annual Colorado Immunology Conference, Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA.
• HIV Infection Alters the Peripheral Blood Cytokine Response to Innate Stimulation with Escherichia coli and TLR7/8 Ligand. Jennifer Manuzak, Stephanie Dillon, Cara Wilson. 18th Conference of Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Boston, New England, USA. 2011.
• Blood Natural Killer Cell IFN-g Responses to Commensal Bacteria are Altered in HIV-1 Infection. Stephanie Dillon, Eric Lee, Julia Bramante, Edward Barker, Cara C. Wilson. 2012. HIV Vaccines Symposia, Keystone Resort, Colorado, USA.
• Commensal Escherichia coli Enhance Depletion of Intestinal Lamina Propria CD4+ T Cells by R5 tropic HIV-1BaL Ex Vivo. Amanda Leone, Stephanie Dillon, Eric Lee, Martin McCarter, Mario Santiago and Cara Wilson. 2012.HIV Vaccines Symposia, Keystone Resort, Colorado, USA.
• HIV-1 Infection Alters Blood Cytokine Responses to Commensal Bacteria and TLR7/8L. Jennifer A. Manuzak, Stephanie M. Dillon, Cara C. Wilson. 2011. CCTSI Meeting St Louis, Missouri, USA.
• HIV-1 infection alters the peripheral blood mononuclear cell response to whole, commensal enteric bacteria. Jennifer A. Manuzak, Stephanie M. Dillon, Cara C. Wilson. 2011. 12th Annual Colorado Immunology Conference, Estes Park, Colorado, USA.
• Dillon SM, Manuzak JA, Leone AK, Lee EJ, Rogers LM, McCarter MD, Wilson, C.C. HIV-1 infection of human intestinal lamina propria CD4+ T cells in vitro is enhanced by exposure to commensal Escherichia coli. J Immunol 2012,189:885-896.
• Manuzak J, Dillon S, Wilson C. Differential interleukin-10 (IL-10) and IL-23 production by human blood monocytes and dendritic cells in response to commensal enteric bacteria. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2012,19:1207-1217.
• Dillon, S., Lee, E., Austin, G., Dong, Z., Gianella Weibel, S., Smith, D., Wilson, C.C. IFN-y-producing Rectal g/d T cells are Increased in Untreated HIV-1 Infection and Correlate with T Cell Activation and Microbial Translocation. 20th Conference of Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. 2013.
• Manuzak, J., Dillon, S., Lee, E., Wilson, C.C. IL-23 Production in Response to Commensal Bacteria is Increased in HIV-1 Infection and is Associated with Frequencies of Activated Monocytes. 20th Conference of Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. 2013.
• Manuzak, J., Dillon, S., Wilson, C.C. The peripheral blood IL-23 response to commensal bacteria correlates with monocyte and T cell activation and is increased in HIV-1 infected individuals. Colorado Immunology Conference, Vail, CO. September, 2012.
• Steele AK, Lee EJ, Manuzak JA, Dillon SM, Beckham JD, McCarter MD, Santiago ML, Wilson CC. Microbial exposure alters HIV-1-induced mucosal CD4 T cell death pathways Ex vivo. Retrovirology. 2014 Feb 4;11:14. PubMed PMID: 24495380
• Dillon SM, Lee EJ, Kotter CV, Austin GL, Dong Z, Hecht DK, Gianella S, Siewe B, Smith DM, Landay AL, Robertson CE, Frank DN, Wilson CC. An altered intestinal mucosal microbiome in HIV-1 infection is associated with mucosal and systemic immune activation and endotoxemia. Mucosal Immunol. 2014 Jan 8. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 24399150
• Dillon SM, Lee EJ, Bramante JM, Barker E, Wilson CC. The natural killer cell interferon-gamma response to bacteria is diminished in untreated HIV-1 infection and defects persist despite viral suppression. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2014 Mar 1;65(3):259-67. PubMed PMID: 24091697
• Manuzak JA, Dillon SM, Lee EJ, Dong ZM, Hecht DK, Wilson CC. Increased Escherichia coli-induced interleukin-23 production by CD16 monocytes correlates with systemic immune activation in untreated HIV-1-infected individuals. J Virol. 2013 Dec;87(24):13252-62. PubMed PMID: 24067979
• Kiene M, Rethi B, Jansson M, Dillon S, Lee E, Lantto R, Wilson C, Pöhlmann S, Chiodi F. Toll-like receptor 3 signalling up-regulates expression of the HIV co-receptor G-protein coupled receptor 15 on human CD4 T cells. PLoS One. 2014;9(2):e88195. PubMed PMID: 24558379
• Dillon SM, Lee EJ, Kotter CV, Austin GL, Dong Z, Hecht DK, Gianella S, Siewe B, Smith DM, Landay AL, Robertson CE, Frank DN, Wilson CC. An altered intestinal mucosal microbiome in HIV-1 infection is associated with mucosal and systemic immune activation and endotoxemia. Mucosal Immunol. 2014 Jul;7(4):983-94. PubMed PMID: 24399150
• Dillon SM, Lee EJ, Bramante JM, Barker E, Wilson CC. The natural killer cell interferon-gamma response to bacteria is diminished in untreated HIV-1 infection and defects persist despite viral suppression. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2014 Mar 1;65(3):259-67. PubMed PMID: 24091697
• Steele AK, Lee EJ, Manuzak JA, Dillon SM, Beckham JD, McCarter MD, Santiago ML, Wilson CC. Microbial exposure alters HIV-1-induced mucosal CD4 T cell death pathways Ex vivo. Retrovirology. 2014 Feb 4;11:14. PubMed PMID: 24495380
• Dillon SM, Lee EJ, Kotter CV, Austin GL, Gianella S, Siewe B, Smith DM, Landay AL, McManus MC, Robertson CE, Frank DN, McCarter MD, Wilson CC. Gut dendritic cell activation links an altered colonic microbiome to mucosal and systemic T-cell activation in untreated HIV-1 infection. Mucosal Immunol. 2016 Jan;9(1):24-37. PubMed PMID: 25921339
• Harper MS, Guo K, Gibbert K, Lee EJ, Dillon SM, Barrett BS, McCarter MD, Hasenkrug KJ, Dittmer U, Wilson CC, Santiago ML. Interferon-a Subtypes in an Ex Vivo Model of Acute HIV-1 Infection: Expression, Potency and Effector Mechanisms. PLoS Pathog. 2015 Nov;11(11):e1005254. PubMed PMID: 26529416
• Kiene M, Rethi B, Jansson M, Dillon S, Lee E, Lantto R, Wilson C, Pöhlmann S, Chiodi F. Toll-like receptor 3 signalling up-regulates expression of the HIV co-receptor G-protein coupled receptor 15 on human CD4 T cells. PLoS One. 2014;9(2):e88195. PubMed PMID: 24558379
• Dillon SM, Kibbie J, Lee EJ, Guo K, Santiago ML, Austin GL, Gianella S, Landay AL, Donovan AM, Frank DN, McCarter MD, Wilson CC. Low abundance of colonic butyrate-producing bacteria in HIV infection is associated with microbial translocation and immune activation. AIDS. 2016 Dec 19. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 28002063
• Dillon SM, Frank DN, Wilson CC. The gut microbiome and HIV-1 pathogenesis: a two-way street. AIDS. 2016 Nov 28;30(18):2737-2751. PubMed PMID: 27755100
• Dillon SM, Lee EJ, Donovan AM, Guo K, Harper MS, Frank DN, McCarter MD, Santiago ML, Wilson CC. Enhancement of HIV-1 infection and intestinal CD4 T cell depletion ex vivo by gut microbes altered during chronic HIV-1 infection. Retrovirology. 2016 Jan 14;13:5. PubMed PMID: 26762145
• Dillon S.M, Santiago M.L and Wilson C.C (2016). HIV-1 Pathogenesis in the Gut. Encyclopedia of AIDS. Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016 T.J. Hope et al. (eds.) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-9610-6_463.
• Dillon SM, Castleman MJ, Frank DN, Austin GL, Gianella S, Cogswell AC, Landay AL, Barker E, Wilson CC. Brief Report: Inflammatory Colonic Innate Lymphoid Cells Are Increased During Untreated HIV-1 Infection and Associated With Markers of Gut Dysbiosis and Mucosal Immune Activation. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2017 Dec 1;76(4):431-437. PubMed PMID: 28825942
• Dillon SM, Kibbie J, Lee EJ, Guo K, Santiago ML, Austin GL, Gianella S, Landay AL, Donovan AM, Frank DN, McCARTER MD, Wilson CC. Low abundance of colonic butyrate-producing bacteria in HIV infection is associated with microbial translocation and immune activation. AIDS. 2017 Feb 20;31(4):511-521. PubMed PMID: 28002063
• Yoder AC, Guo K, Dillon SM, Phang T, Lee EJ, Harper MS, Helm K, Kappes JC, Ochsenbauer C, McCarter MD, Wilson CC, Santiago ML. The transcriptome of HIV-1 infected intestinal CD4 T cells exposed to enteric bacteria. PLoS Pathog. 2017 Feb;13(2):e1006226. PubMed PMID: 28241075
• Dillon SM, Guo K, Austin GL, Gianella S, Engen PA, Mutlu EA, Losurdo J, Swanson G, Chakradeo P, Keshavarzian A, Landay AL, Santiago ML, Wilson CC. A compartmentalized type I interferon response in the gut during chronic HIV-1 infection is associated with immunopathogenesis. AIDS. 2018 Jul 31;32(12):1599-1611. PubMed PMID: 29762170
• Liu J, Williams B, Frank D, Dillon SM, Wilson CC, Landay AL. Inside Out: HIV, the Gut Microbiome, and the Mucosal Immune System. J Immunol. 2017 Jan 15;198(2):605-614. PubMed PMID: 28069756
• Dillon SM, Liu J, Purba CM, Christians AJ, Kibbie JJ, Castleman MJ, McCarter MD, Wilson CC. Age-related alterations in human gut CD4 T cell phenotype, T helper cell frequencies, and functional responses to enteric bacteria. J Leukoc Biol. 2020 Jan;107(1):119-132. PubMed PMID: 31573727
• Dillon SM, Wilson CC. What is the collective effect of aging and HIV on the gut microbiome?. Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2019 Dec 23. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31876548
• Liu J, Johnson R, Dillon S, Kroehl M, Frank DN, Tuncil YE, Zhang X, Ir D, Robertson CE, Seifert S, Higgins J, Hamaker B, Wilson CC, Erlandson KM. Among older adults, age-related changes in the stool microbiome differ by HIV-1 serostatus. EBioMedicine. 2019 Feb;40:583-594. PubMed PMID: 30685386
• Castleman MJ, Dillon SM, Purba CM, Cogswell AC, Kibbie JJ, McCarter MD, Santiago ML, Barker E, Wilson CC. Commensal and Pathogenic Bacteria Indirectly Induce IL-22 but Not IFN? Production From Human Colonic ILC3s via Multiple Mechanisms. Front Immunol. 2019;10:649. PubMed PMID: 30984202
• Tuddenham SA, Koay WLA, Zhao N, White JR, Ghanem KG, Sears CL. The Impact of HIV Infection on Gut Microbiota Alpha-Diversity: An Individual Level Meta-analysis. Clin Infect Dis. 2019 Mar 28. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30921452
• Castleman MJ, Dillon SM, Purba C, Cogswell AC, McCarter M, Barker E, Wilson C. Enteric bacteria induce IFN? and Granzyme B from human colonic Group 1 Innate Lymphoid Cells. Gut Microbes. 2019 Oct 4;:1-17. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31583949
• He T, Xu C, Krampe N, Dillon SM, Sette P, Falwell E, Haret-Richter GS, Butterfield T, Dunsmore TL, McFadden WM Jr, Martin KJ, Policicchio BB, Raehtz KD, Penn EP, Tracy RP, Ribeiro RM, Frank DN, Wilson CC, Landay AL, Apetrei C, Pandrea I. High-fat diet exacerbates SIV pathogenesis and accelerates disease progression. J Clin Invest. 2019 Dec 2;129(12):5474-5488. PubMed PMID: 31710311
• Dillon, S. M., Guo, K., Castleman, M. J., Santiago, M. L. and Wilson, C. C. (2020). Quantifying HIV-1-Mediated Gut CD4+ T Cell Death in the Lamina Propria Aggregate Culture (LPAC) Model. Bio-protocol 10(2): e3486. DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3486.
• Guo K, Shen G, Kibbie J, Gonzalez T, Dillon SM, Smith HA, Cooper EH, Lavender K, Hasenkrug KJ, Sutter K, Dittmer U, Kroehl M, Kechris K, Wilson CC, Santiago ML. Qualitative Differences Between the IFNa subtypes and IFNß Influence Chronic Mucosal HIV-1 Pathogenesis. PLoS Pathog. 2020 Oct;16(10):e1008986. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008986. eCollection 2020 Oct. PubMed PMID: 33064743; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7592919.
• Wilson CC and Dillon SM. Age-related changes in the immune phenotype of human memory CD4 T cells differ between colon and peripheral blood. J Immunol May 1, 2020, 204 (1 Supplement) 235.20
• Dillon S, Guo K, Shen G, Smith H, Kroehl M, Kechris K, Wilson C and Santiago M. Distinct interferomes associated with chronic HIV pathogenesis in the gut. 2020. CROI, Boston, MA, USA.
• Dillon S, Mickens K, Santiago M and Wilson C. Commensal bacteria induce Granzyme B in human gut CD4 T cells in a MHC Class II and cytokine-dependent manner. Keystone Tissue Immunity Conference, January 2020, Boulder, CO, USA.
• Dillon SM and Wilson CC. Gut Innate Immunity and HIV Pathogenesis. Curr. HIV/AIDS Reports.
• Dillon SM, Thompson TA, Christians AJ, McCarter MD, Wilson CC. Reduced immune-regulatory molecule expression on human colonic memory CD4 T cells in older adults. Immun Ageing. 2021 Feb 13;18(1):6. PubMed PMID: 33581731
• Dillon SM, Abdo MH, Wilson MP, Liu J, Jankowski CM, Robertson CE, Tuncil Y, Hamaker B, Frank DN, MaWhinney S, Wilson CC, Erlandson KM. A Unique Gut Microbiome-Physical Function Axis Exists in Older People with HIV: An Exploratory Study. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2021 Jul;37(7):542-550. PubMed PMID: 33787299
• Erlandson KM, Liu J, Johnson R, Dillon S, Jankowski CM, Kroehl M, Robertson CE, Frank DN, Tuncil Y, Higgins J, Hamaker B, Wilson CC. An exercise intervention alters stool microbiota and metabolites among older, sedentary adults. Ther Adv Infect Dis. 2021 Jan-Dec;8:20499361211027067. PubMed PMID: 34262758
• Kibbie JJ, Dillon SM, Thompson TA, Purba CM, McCarter MD, Wilson CC. Butyrate directly decreases human gut lamina propria CD4 T cell function through histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition and GPR43 signaling. Immunobiology. 2021 Sep;226(5):152126. PubMed PMID: 34365090
• Castleman MJ, Dillon SM, Thompson TA, Santiago ML, McCarter MD, Barker E, Wilson CC. Gut Bacteria Induce Granzyme B Expression in Human Colonic ILC3s In Vitro in an IL-15-Dependent Manner. J Immunol. 2021 Jun 15;206(12):3043-3052. PubMed PMID: 34117105
• Dillon SM, Wilson CC. Gut Innate Immunity and HIV Pathogenesis. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep. 2021 Apr;18(2):128-138. PubMed PMID: 33687703
• Dillon S, Cooper E, Thompson T, Mickens K, Guo K, Wood C, Kechris K, Santiago M and Wilson C. Colonic Granzyme B+ CD4 T cells associate with gut and systemic T cell activation. (2021) Virtual CROI. Science Spotlight Presentation.
• Jones ST, Guo K, Cooper EH, Dillon SM, Wood C, Nguyen DH, Shen G, Barrett BS, Frank DN, Kroehl M, Janoff EN, Kechris K, Wilson CC, Santiago ML. Altered Immunoglobulin Repertoire and Decreased IgA Somatic Hypermutation in the Gut during Chronic HIV-1 Infection. J Virol. 2022 Sep 14;96(17):e0097622. PubMed PMID: 35938870
• Dillon SM, Mickens KL, Thompson TA, Cooper EH, Nesladek S, Christians AJ, Castleman M, Guo K, Wood C, Frank DN, Kechris K, Santiago ML, Wilson CC. Granzyme B( ) CD4 T cells accumulate in the colon during chronic HIV-1 infection. Gut Microbes. 2022 Jan-Dec;14(1):2045852. PubMed PMID: 35258402
• Dillon S, Guo K, Cooper E, Wood C, Kechris K, Santiago M and Wilson C. Extensive transcriptional perturbations in the colon versus blood during chronic HIV. Virtual CROI 2022.
• Kaylee Mickens, Stephanie M. Dillon, Kejun Guo, Bradley S. Barrett, Mario L. Santiago, Cara C. Wilson. The Role of Granzyme B in HIV-1-Mediated Killing of Gut CD4+ T Cells. International Workshop on Retroviral Pathogenesis (RETROPATH), Vail, CO 2022
• Seymour BJ, Trent B, Allen BE, Berlinberg AJ, Tangchittsumran J, Jubair WK, Chriswell ME, Liu S, Ornelas A, Stahly A, Alexeev EE, Dowdell AS, Sneed SL, Fechtner S, Kofonow JM, Robertson CE, Dillon SM, Wilson CC, Anthony RM, Frank DN, Colgan SP, Kuhn KA. Microbiota-dependent indole production stimulates the development of collagen-induced arthritis in mice. J Clin Invest. 2023 Dec 19. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 38113112

Professional Memberships

• Society for Leukocyte Biology, Member
• Society for Mucosal Immunology, Member