Microbiology and Immunology Discipline

Center for Cancer Cell Biology, Immunology, and Infection

Dr. Kenneth Beaman received his bachelor's degree in 1975 from Colorado State University. He was a fellow in the Clinical Microbiology Lab at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation from 1975 to 1978. He received his PhD in microbiology and immunology from Ohio State University in 1982. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pathology at Yale from 1982 to 1985. During his fellowship at Yale University, he was a member of the transplantation laboratory.

Dr. Beaman's research interests are in clinical immunology and in immune suppression, particularly during pregnancy. In 1985, he joined the Microbiology and Immunology discipline at the Chicago Medical School. He founded the Clinical Immunology Laboratory at CMS in 1987. This laboratory supports a variety of autoimmune/rheumatology testing; its primary focus is diagnostic tests pertaining to the immunology of pregnancy. The Clinical Immunology Laboratory is one of three laboratories in the United States certified by the Committee on Postdoctoral Educational Program (CPEP) to educate postdoctoral students who are eligible for the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology.

Dr. Beaman is a fellow of the American Association of Medical Laboratory Immunologists and a Diplomat of the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology. He is on the council of several national and international societies of both reproductive and clinical immunology.

Clinical Immunology Laboratory

Dr. Beaman is founder and director of the Clinical Immunology Laboratory, which performs over 1.3 million diagnostic tests for national and international clinics and physicians per year. 

The Clinical Immunology Laboratory at Rosalind Franklin University was established in 1987 as a pioneering laboratory specializing in cutting-edge immunological tests. It was one of the first to provide immunological testing for the diagnosis of recurrent pregnancy losses and unexplained infertility. The laboratory offers innovative immune assays, using both immunological and molecular biology methodology and state-of-the-art instruments. It provides services to physicians and patients nationally and internationally.

The laboratory has performed scientific research in the field of human reproduction for over two decades and has been established as a leading center in the area of reproductive immunology. It serves local and national and international physicians and patients with the implementation of new diagnostic assays.

In 1997, the laboratory established one of three programs in the United States certified by the American Academy of Microbiology to educate postdoctoral students who are eligible for the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology (ABMLI). The ABMLI certifies the expertise of doctoral-level immunologists seeking to direct laboratories engaged in the practice of medical laboratory immunology. ABMLI certification is recognized by federal and state governmental agencies as a significant component toward meeting licensure requirements to direct laboratories engaged in the microbiological diagnosis of human disease. It is recognized under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 final rule. Thirteen fellows who have been educated through the program are now directors of clinical laboratories throughout the United States and Canada, and several others have come to the program as part of sabbatical leaves to study at the laboratory. These students are on faculty of many international universities.

The Clinical Immunology Laboratory provided services in flow cytometry for the disciplines of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology, Podiatry, and Medicine.

Research Interests

The immune response to tumors and pregnancy is unique. In both cases the initial immune response is absent as measured by standard techniques such as the mixed lymphocyte reaction. This is thought to be due to the absence of HLA antigen on trophoblasts or tumors during a portion of their growth cycle. However, when other parameters are measured, unique immunological mechanisms can be seen, such as unique populations of mononuclear cells as well as a unique cytokine milieu associated with the tissue. 

General hypothesis: under certain stressful developmental conditions such as low pH and tumor growth, the first initiation of the immune response may be cytokine production and not antigen recognition. This cytokine production can precede antigen recognition by either the innate or adaptive immune response. This production of cytokines regulates the immune response both independent of and prior to antigen recognition by creating a unique environment for later antigen driven development.

Selected Publications

• Sahoo M, Katara GK, Bilal MY, Ibrahim SA, Kulshrestha A, Fleetwood S, Suzue K, Beaman KD.  Hematopoietic stem cell specific V-ATPase controls breast cancer progression and metastasis via cytotoxic T cells.  Oncotarget. 2018 Sep 4;9(69):33215-33231. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.26061. eCollection 2018 Sep 4.  (PubMed)
• El-Azzamy H, Dambaeva SV, Katukurundage D, Salazar Garcia MD, Skariah A, Hussein Y, Germain A, Fernandez E, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD, Kwak-Kim J.  Dysregulated uterine natural killer cells and vascular remodeling in women with recurrent pregnancy losses.  Am J Reprod Immunol. 2018 Oct;80(4):e13024. doi: 10.1111/aji.13024. Epub 2018 Jul 31.  (PubMed)
• Gilman-Sachs A, Dambaeva S, Salazar Garcia MD, Hussein Y, Kwak-Kim J, Beaman K.  Inflammation induced preterm labor and birth.  J Reprod Immunol. 2018 Sep;129:53-58. doi: 10.1016/j.jri.2018.06.029. Epub 2018 Jun 30. Review.  (PubMed)
• Galat Y, Elcheva I, Dambaeva S, Katukurundage D, Beaman K, Iannaccone PM, Galat V.  Application of small molecule CHIR99021 leads to the loss of hemangioblast progenitor and increased hematopoiesis of human pluripotent stem cells.  Exp Hematol. 2018 Sep;65:38-48.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.exphem.2018.05.007. Epub 2018 Jun 5.  (PubMed)
• Coulam CB, Bilal M, Salazar Garcia MD, Katukurundage D, Elazzamy H, Fernandez EF, Kwak-Kim J, Beaman K, Dambaeva SV. Prevalence of HHV-6 in endometrium from women with recurrent implantation failure.  Am J Reprod Immunol. 2018 Jul;80(1):e12862. doi: 10.1111/aji.12862. Epub 2018 Apr 17. (PubMed)
• Agrawal V, Jaiswal MK, Beaman KD, Hirsch E. Surfactant Protein (SP)-A Suppresses Preterm Delivery Induced By Live E. coli in Mice.  Biol Reprod. 2018 Mar 24. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioy074. [Epub ahead of print] (PubMed)
• Dambaeva S, Schneiderman S, Jaiswal MK, Agrawal V, Katara GK, Gilman-Sachs A, Hirsch E, Beaman KD. Interleukin 22 prevents lipopolysaccharide- induced preterm labor in mice.  Biol Reprod. 2018 Mar 1;98(3):299-308. doi: 10.1093/biolre/iox182. (PubMed)
• Pamarthy S, Kulshrestha A, Katara GK, Beaman KD. The curious case of vacuolar ATPase: regulation of signaling pathways. Mol Cancer. 2018 Feb 15;17(1):41. doi: 10.1186/s12943-018-0811-3.  (PubMed)
• Katara GK, Kulshrestha A, Mao L, Wang X, Sahoo M, Ibrahim S, Pamarthy S, Suzue K, Shekhawat GS, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. Mammary epithelium-specific inactivation of V-ATPase reduces stiffness of extracellular matrix and enhances metastasis of breast cancer.  Mol Oncol. 2018 Feb;12(2):208-223. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.12159. Epub 2017 Dec 12. (PubMed)
• Bilal MY, Dambaeva S, Kwak-Kim J, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. A Role for Iodide and Thyroglobulin in Modulating the Function of Human Immune Cells.  Front Immunol. 2017 Nov 15;8:1573. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01573. eCollection 2017. (PubMed)
• Salazar Garcia MD, Mobley Y, Henson J, Davies M, Skariah A, Dambaeva S, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman K, Lampley C, Kwak-Kim J. Early pregnancy immune biomarkers in peripheral blood may predict preeclampsia.  J Reprod Immunol. 2018 Feb;125:25-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jri.2017.10.048. Epub 2017 Nov 2. (PubMed)
• Patil R, Kulshrestha A, Tikoo A, Fleetwood S, Katara G, Kolli B, Seibel W, Gilman-Sachs A, Patil SA, Beaman KD.  Identification of Novel Bisbenzimidazole Derivatives as Anticancer Vacuolar (H⁺)-ATPase Inhibitors.  Molecules. 2017 Sep 16;22(9). pii: E1559. doi: 10.3390/molecules22091559.  (PubMed)
• Kulshrestha A, Katara GK, Ibrahim SA, Patil R, Patil SA, Beaman KD. Microtubule inhibitor, SP-6-27 inhibits angiogenesis and induces apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells.  Oncotarget. 2017 May 2;8(40):67017-67028. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.17549. eCollection 2017 Sep 15. (PubMed)
• Davies ML, Dambaeva SV, Katukurundage D, Repak M, Gilman-Sachs A, Kwak-Kim J, Beaman KD. Predicting NK cell subsets using gene expression levels in peripheral blood and endometrial biopsy specimens.  Am J Reprod Immunol. 2017 Sep;78(3). doi: 10.1111/aji.12730. Epub 2017 Aug 3. (PubMed)
• Beaman KD, Dambaeva S, Katara GK, Kulshrestha A, Gilman-Sachs A. The immune response in pregnancy and in cancer is active and supportive of placental and tumor cell growth not their destruction.  Gynecol Oncol. 2017 Jun;145(3):476-480. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2017.04.019. Epub 2017 May 3.  (PubMed)
• Dambaeva SV, Lee DH, Sung N, Chen CY, Bao S, Gilman-Sachs A, Kwak-Kim J, Beaman KD. Recurrent Pregnancy Loss in Women with Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor KIR2DS1 is Associated with an Increased HLA-C2 Allelic Frequency. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2016 Feb;75(2):94-103.
• Katara GK, Kulshrestha A, Jaiswal MK, Pamarthy S, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. Inhibition of vacuolar ATPase subunit in tumor cells delays tumor growth by decreasing the essential macrophage population in the tumor microenvironment. Oncogene. 2016 Feb 25;35(8):1058-65. 
• Kulshrestha A, Katara GK, Ginter J, Pamarthy S, Ibrahim SA, Jaiswal MK, Sandulescu C, Periakaruppan R, Dolan J, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. Selective inhibition of tumor cell associated Vacuolar-ATPase 'a2' isoform overcomes cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cells.  Mol Oncol. 2016 Jan 29.
• Velmurugan GV, Huang H, Sun H, Candela J, Jaiswal MK, Beaman KD, Yamashita M, Prakriya M, White C. Depletion of H2S during obesity enhances store-operated Ca2+ entry in adipose tissue macrophages to increase cytokine production. Sci Signal. 2015 Dec 15;8(407)
• Ota K, Dambaeva S, Kim MW, Han AR, Fukui A, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD, Kwak-Kim J. 1,25-Dihydroxy-vitamin D3 regulates NK-cell cytotoxicity, cytokine secretion, and degranulation in women with recurrent pregnancy losses. Eur J Immunol. 2015 Nov;45(11):3188-99. 
• Jaiswal MK, Agrawal V, Katara GK, Pamarthy S, Kulshrestha A, Chaouat G, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. Male fertility and apoptosis in normal spermatogenesis are regulated by vacuolar-ATPase isoform a2. J Reprod Immunol. 2015 Nov;112:38-45
• Pamarthy S, Jaiswal MK, Kulshreshtha A, Katara GK, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. The Vacuolar ATPase a2-subunit regulates Notch signaling in triple-negative breast cancer cells. Oncotarget. 2015 Oct 27;6(33):34206-20.
• Ibrahim SA, Katara GK, Kulshrestha A, Jaiswal MK, Amin MA, Beaman KD. Breast cancer associated a2 isoform vacuolar ATPase immunomodulates neutrophils: potential role in tumor progression. Oncotarget. 2015 Oct 20;6(32):33033-45.
• Jaiswal MK, Agrawal V, Pamarthy S, Katara GK, Kulshrestha A, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD, Hirsch E  Notch Signaling in Inflammation-Induced Preterm Labor. Sci Rep. 2015 Oct 16;5:15221.
• Agrawal V, Jaiswal MK, Pamarthy S, Katara GK, Kulshrestha A, Gilman-Sachs A, Hirsch E, Beaman KD Role of Notch signaling during lipopolysaccharide-induced preterm labor. J Leukoc Biol. 2015 Sep 15. pii: jlb.3HI0515-200RR.
• Gilman-Sachs A, Tikoo A, Akman-Anderson L, Jaiswal M, Ntrivalas E, Beaman KD. Expression and role of a2 vacuolar-ATPase (a2V) in trafficking of human neutrophil granules and exocytosis. J Leukoc Biol. Apr 15 2015
• Kulshrestha, A., Katara GK, Ibrahim S,. Pamarthy S, Jaiswal MK, Gilman- Sachs A and Beaman KD. Vacuolar ATPase 'a2' isoform exhibits distinct cell surface accumulation and modulates matrix metalloproteinase activity in ovarian cancer.  Onco target Feb 2015; 6:3797.
• Katara, GK, Jaiswal MK, Kulshrestha A, Kolli B, Gilman-Sachs A, and Beaman KD. Tumor-associated vacuolar ATPase subunit promotes tumorigenic characteristics in macrophages. Oncogene Dec;2014. 33:5649.
• Beaman KD, Jaiswal MK, Dambaeva S, and Gilman-Sachs A. Future directions of clinical laboratory evaluation of pregnancy.  Cell Mol Immunol. 2014 Nov;11(6):582-8. 
• Agrawal V, Jaiswal MK, Ilievski V, Beaman KD, Jilling T, and Hirsch E. Platelet Activating Factor: a Role in Preterm Delivery and an Essential Interaction with Toll-Like Receptor Signaling in Mice. Biology of Reproduction. 2014  91(5):0, 1–11 September 2014. DOI 10.1095/biolreprod.113.116012
• Jaiswal MK, Katara GK, Mallers TM, Chaouat G, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD (2014). Vacuolar-ATPase isoform a2 regulates macrophages and cytokine profile necessary for normal spermatogenesis in testis. Journal of Leukocyte Biology. 2014 Aug;96(2):337-47. 
• Ota K, Yamagishi SI, Kim M, Dambaeva S, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD, Kwak-Kim J. Elevation of soluble form of receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) in recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL): possible participation of RAGE in RPL. Fertil Steril. 2014 Jul 17. pii: S0015-0282(14)00543-3.
• Beaman KD, Jaiswal MK, Dambaeva S, Gilman-Sachs A. Future directions of clinical laboratory evaluation of pregnancy.  Cell Mol Immunol. 2014 Jul 21. doi: 10.1038/cmi.2014.62. 
• Chueh FY, Cronk RJ, Alsuwaidan AN, Mallers TM, Jaiswal MK, Beaman KD, Yu CL. Mouse LSTRA leukemia as a model of human natural killer T cell and highly aggressive lymphoid malignancies. Leuk Lymphoma. 2014 Mar;55(3):706-8.
• Kwak-Kim J, Agcaoili MS, Aleta L, Liao A, Ota K, Dambaeva S, Beaman KD, Kim JW, Gilman-Sachs A. Management of women with recurrent pregnancy losses and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2013 Jun;69(6):596-607. 
• Katara GK, Jaiswal MK, Kulshrestha A, Kolli B, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. Tumor-associated vacuolar ATPase subunit promotes tumorigenic characteristics in macrophages. Oncogene. 2013 Dec 23. 
• Jaiswal MK, Agrawal V, Mallers T, Gilman-Sachs A, Hirsch E, Beaman KD. Regulation of apoptosis and innate immune stimuli in inflammation-induced preterm labor. J Immunol. 2013 Dec 1;191(11):5702-13. 
• Ota K, Dambaeva S, Beaman KD, Gilman-Sachs A, Kwak-Kim J. Persistent high levels of IgM antiphospholipid antibodies in a patient with recurrent pregnancy losses and rheumatoid arthritis. 2013 Am J Reprod Immunol
• Ota K, Dambaeva S, Beaman KD, Gilman-Sachs A, Kim J. Vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for recurrent pregnancy losses by increasing cellular immunity and autoimmunity. Human Reprod. 2013 Nov 24
• Ota K, Jaiswal MK, Ramu S, Jeyendran R, Kwak-Kim J, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. Expression of a2 Vacuolar ATPase in Spermatozoa is Associated with Semen Quality and Chemokine-Cytokine Profiles in Infertile Men  Research Article PLOS ONE 2013 Jul 30;8(7)
• Kwong C, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. An independent endocytic pathway stimulates different monocyte subsets by the a2 N-terminus domain of vacuolar-ATPase. OncoImmunology 2013 2:1 e22978-1 - e22978-10
• Han AR, Ahn H, Vu P, Park JC, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD, Kwak-Kim J. Obstetrical Outcome of Anti-Inflammatory and Anticoagulation Therapy in Women with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss or Unexplained Infertility. Am J Reprod Immunol 2012 Jul 27. 
• Jaiswal MK, Mallers TM, Larsen B, Kwak-Kim J, Chaouat G, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. V-ATPase upregulation during early pregnancy: a possible link to establishment of an inflammatory response during preimplantation period of pregnancy. Reproduction. 2012 May;143(5):713-25. 
• Beaman KD, Ntrivalas E, Mallers TM, Jaiswal MK, Kwak-Kim J, Gilman-Sachs A.  Immune etiology of recurrent pregnancy loss and its diagnosis. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2012 Apr;67(4):319-25. 
• Jaiswal MK, Mallers TM, Kwong C, Chaouat G, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. Abortion-Prone Mating Influences Alteration of Systemic a2 Vacuolar ATPase Expression in Spleen and Blood Immune Cells. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2012 Jan 6. 67(5) 421-33. 
• Kim DJ, Linnstaedt S, Palma J, Park JC, Ntrivalas E, Kwak-Kim JY, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD, Hastings ML, Martin JN, Duelli DM. Plasma components affect accuracy of circulating cancer-related microRNA quantitation. J Mol Diagn. 2012 Jan;14(1):71-80. 
• Kwong C, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. Tumor-associated a2 vacuolar ATPase acts as a key mediator of cancer-related inflammation by inducing pro-tumorigenic properties in monocytes. J Immunol. 2011 Feb 1;186(3):1781-9. 
• Jaiswal MK, Gilman-Sachs A, Chaouat G, Beaman KD. Placental ATPase expression is a link between multiple causes of spontaneous abortion in mice. Biol Reprod. 2011 Sep;85(3):626-34.
• Kim NY, Cho HJ, Kim HY, Yang KM, Ahn HK, Thornton S, Park JC, Beaman KD, Gilman-Sachs A, Kwak-Kim J. Thyroid Autoimmunity and its Association with Cellular and Humoral Immunity in Women with Reproductive Failures. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2011 July; 65 (1) :78-87
• Ntrivalas E, Levine R, Kwong C, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. J The a2 isoform of vacuolar ATPase is a modulator of implantation and feto-maternal immune tolerance in early pregnancy. Reprod Immunol. 2010 May;85(1):106-11. 
• Yang KM, Ntrivalas E, Cho HJ, Kim NY, Beaman KD, Gilman-Sachs A, Kwak-Kim J. Women with multiple implantation failures and recurrent pregnancy losses have increased peripheral blood T cell activation. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2010 May;63:370-8. 
• Wang JH, Zheng X, Ke X, Dorak MT, Shen J, Boodram B, O'Gorman M, Beaman KD, Cotler S, Hershow R, and Rong L. Ethnic and geographical differences in HLA associations with the outcome of hepatitis C virus infection. J Virology Journal 2009 6:46
• Fukui A, Ntrivalas E, Fukuhara R, Fujii S, Mizunuma H, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD, Kwak-Kim J. Correlation between natural cytotoxicity receptors and intracellular cytokine expression of peripheral blood NK cells in women with recurrent pregnancy losses and implantation failures. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2009 Dec;62(6):371-80. 
• Wang JH, Zheng X, Ke X, Dorak MT, Shen J, Boodram B, O’Gorman M, Hershow R, Beaman KD, Cotler SJ. Ethnic and geographical differences in HLA-gene controlled associations affect the outcome of hepatitis C virus infection. Virol J 2009. May 1;6:46.
• Odessey E,  Cohn A, Beaman KD, Schechter L. Invasive mucormycosis of the maxillary sinus: extensive destruction with an indolent presentation. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2008 Feb;9(1):91-8. Review.
• Fukui A, Kwak-Kim J, Ntrivalas E, Gilman-Sachs A, Lee SK and Beaman KD Intracellular cytokine expression of peripheral blood natural killer cell subsets in women with recurrent spontaneous abortion and implantation failures, Fertil Steril, 2007; Jan;89(1):157-65
• Ntrivalas E, Derks R, Gilman-Sachs A, Kwak-Kim J and Beaman KD Novel role for N-terminus domain of A2 isoform of Vacuolar ATPase IL-1 Production, Human Immunolog 2007;68:469-477
• Ntrivalas E, Gilman-Sachs A, Kwak-Kim and Beaman KD The N-terminus domain of the a2 soform of vacuolar ATPase can regulate IL-1  production from monocnuclear cells in co-culture with choriocarcinoma cells, Am J Reprod Immunol 2007;57(3):201-209
• Fukui A, Ntrivalas E, Gilman-Sachs A, Kwak-Kim J, Lee SK, Levine R, Beaman KD Expression of Natural Cytotoxicity Receptors and a2V-ATPase on Peripheral Blood NK Cell Subsets in Women with Recurrent Spontaneous Abortions and Implantation Failures. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2006 Nov;56(5-6):312-20.
• Roth P, Aulwurm S, Gekel I, Beier D, Sperry RG, Mittelbronn M, Meyermann R, Beaman KD, Weller M, Wischhusen J. Regeneration and tolerance factor: a novel mediator of glioblastoma-associated immunosuppression. Cancer Res. 2006 Apr 1;66(7):3852-8.
• Ntrivalas E, Kwak-Kim J, Beaman KD, Mantouvalos H, and Gilman-Sachs A.: An in vitro model to study cytokine profiles of natural killer cells during maternal immune cell-trophoblast interactions, 2006 J.  Society for Gynecologic Invest., 2006;Apr;13(3):196-202. 
• Levine RF, Derks R, Beaman KD Regeneration and tolerance factor. A vacuolar ATPase with consequences. Chem Immunol Allergy. 2005;89:126-34.
• Ntrivalas EI, Bowser CR, Kwak-Kim J, Beaman KD, Gilman-Sachs A: Expression of killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) on peripheral blood NK cells subsets of women with recurrent spontaneous abortions or implantation failures. 2005 Am J Reprod Immunol. 53:215-221.