Associate Professor
Depts. Medicine and Pharmacology
New England Medical Center
750 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111
Phone: 617-636-5690
Email: Jtatro@tufts-nemc.org

Research Interests:

Dr. Tatro's research program concerns the neuroimmune roles of receptors for melanocortins (a-MSH-related peptides), particularly in the central nervous system. Melanocortins act centrally as functional antagonists of proinflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1, inhibiting the pyrogenic and neuroendocrine and other actions of IL-1 in the brain. His recent work has shown that both endogenous and exogenous melanocortins exert antipyretic effects during fever, by acting on central melanocortin receptors. A main thrust of his primary NIH-funded research in the next few years will be to elucidate the central mechanisms and neural pathways involved in these actions. Among his fundamental contributions to the melanocortin field are the first detection and anatomic mapping of melanocortin receptors in the central nervous system, the pharmacological characterization of melanocortin receptors of the brain and peripheral tissues, and collaborating on the cloning and pharmacological characterization of the melanocortin receptors, a family of G-protein associated proteins currently known to have 5 receptor subtypes.

Recent Publications:

Tatro, J.B. 2000. Melanocortin receptor expression and function in the nervous system. In: The Melanocortin Receptors, R.D.Cone, ed. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press

Huang, Q.H., Hruby, V.J., and Tatro, J.B. 1999. Role of central melanocortins in endotoxin-induced anorexia. Amer. J. Physiol. 276 (Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 45):R864-R871.

Van der Kraan, M., Adan, R.A.H., Entwistle, M.E., Gispen, W.H., Burbach, J.P.H., and Tatro, J.B. 1998. Expression of melanocortin 5 receptor in secretory epithelia supports a functional role in exocrine and endocrine glands. Endocrinology 139:2348-2355.

Huang, Q.H., Entwistle, M.L., Alvaro, J.D., Duman, R.S., Hruby, V.J., and Tatro, J.B. 1997. Antipyretic role of endogenous melanocortins mediated by central melanocortin receptors during endotoxin-induced fever. J. Neurosci 17:3343-3351.