Gender	Male
E-mail	thomas.kraus@mssm.edu

The maternal immune system must adapt to allow for the acceptance of the fetal tissue during implantation and throughout gestation. An inappropriate immune response to the fetus or to paternal antigens might result in infertility, failures of implantation, pre-term labor or other complications during gestation.

There is also evidence to suggest that an inappropriate maternal immune response to a virus during pregnancy can affect the fetal environment profoundly. Because of this, viral immunity during the later stages of pregnancy appears to be altered, leaving the mother more susceptible to viral infections.

With a background in mucosal immunology and virology, Dr. Kraus is studying the maternal immune response during pregnancy to the influenza vaccine. Other research interests include the general modulation in the maternal innate and adaptive immune response during the hormonal spikes that accompany different stages of gestation.

Escribese MM, Kraus TA, Rhee E, Fernandez-Sesma A, Lopez C, Moran TM. Estrogen inhibits dendritic cell maturation to dsRNA viruses. 2008;.

Kraus TA, Garza L, Horvath CM. Enabled interferon signaling evasion in an immune-competent transgenic mouse model of parainfluenza virus 5 infection. Virology 2008; 371: 196-205.

Kraus TA, Cheifetz A, Toy L, Meddings J, Mayer L. Evidence for a genetic defect in oral tolerance induction in inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2006; 12: 82-88.

Yount JS, Kraus TA, Horvath CM, Moran TM, Lopez CB. A Novel Role for Viral-Defective Interfering Particles in Enhancing Dendritic Cell Maturation. J. Immunol 2006; 177: 4503-4513.

Kraus TA, Mayer L. Oral tolerance and inflammatory bowel disease. Curr Opin Gastroenterol 2005; 21: 692-696.

Safadi R, Alvarez CE, Ohta M, Brimnes J, Kraus T, Mehal W, Bromberg J, Mayer L, Friedman SL. Enhanced oral tolerance in transgenic mice with hepatocyte secretion of IL-10 . J Immunol 2005; 175: 3577-3583.

Kraus TA, Brimnes J, Muong C, Liu JH, Moran TM, Tappenden KA, Boros P, Mayer L. Mucosal Tolerance Induction in Peyer's Patch-Deficient, Ligated Small Bowel Loops. J. Clin. Invest 2005; 115: 2234-2243.

Kraus TA, Toy L, Chan L, Childs J, Mayer L. Failure to induce oral tolerance to a soluble protein in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Gastroenterology 2004; 126: 1771-1778.

Kraus TA, Toy L, Chan L, Childs J, Cheifetz A, Mayer L. Failure to Induce Oral Tolerance in Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Patients: Possible Genetic Risk. Ann NY acad sci 2004; 1029: 225-238.

Kraus TA, Lau JF, Parisien JP, Horvath CM. A hybrid IRF9-STAT2 protein recapitulates interferon-stimulated gene expression and antiviral response. J Biol Chem 2003; 278(15): 13033-13038.