Eric R. Secor Jr., N.D., M.S., L.Ac., Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM) Assistant Professor Department of Immunology Center for Integrative Immunology and Vaccine Research Professional Background Bromelain Research and Allergic Asthma Recent Research Presentations and Publications Abstract Presentations Mentored Student Presentations

Dr. Eric Secor received his bachelors and pre-medical training at Central Connecticut State University, and his N.D. and M.S. from Bastyr University. While completing the doctoral and masters program at Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington, Dr. Secor specialized in integrative medicine and nutritional supplement education. His integrated experience includes clinic rounds in an HIV Integrated Care Clinic, Mind Body Clinic, Combined Natural Medicine and Acupuncture Clinic, a year experience in counseling, and advanced studies in The Kür Spa Course: Balneology and Health Resort Medicine in the Czech Republic, where he continues to consult with patient programs. He has worked and consulted for the nutriceutical industry since 1995. He successfully completed a postdoctoral fellowship with a concentration in immunology from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and just received a five year K-08 Career Development Award from NIH/NCCAM.

His current studies in the laboratory of Dr. Roger Thrall at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington include: the anti-inflammatory effects of botanical extracts such as Bromelain from Ananas cosmosus (common pineapple), the use of complementary medicine in clinical setting, completion of the Masters of Public Health degree, and postdoctoral course-work in immunology.

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Bromelain Research and Allergic Asthma

Bromelain is a water-soluble extract from the stems of Ananas comosus, the pineapple plant, and has been used clinically as an anti-inflammatory agent by alternative medicine practitioners for decades.

Clinically, oral administration of Bromelain has been used as adjunctive treatment in conditions such as: rheumatoid arthritis, soft tissue injuries, and chronic pain. We have previously demonstrated that Bromelain, a natural product extracted from the stems of pineapple, exerts anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory effects in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced mouse model of allergic airway disease (AAD). Bromelain (Br) treatment decreased CD4+ T cells, eosinophils and Th2 cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) during AAD. (Secor et. al., Oral Bromelain Attenuates Inflammation in an Ovalbumin-induced Murine Model of Asthma, 2007 Cellular Immunology 237:68-75)

Our preliminary data demonstrate that Br reduced cell surface CD25 expression and intracellular Stat5 expression in CD4+ T cells. CD25 and Stat5 are components of IL-2 signaling which is required for activation, proliferation, and survival of T cells. The reduction in CD25 and Stat5 expression by Br may be due to direct effects on IL-2 signaling, or it may occur indirectly through secondary action on antigen presenting cells (APCs). In support of this, new preliminary data has been presented showing that Br treatment decreases MHC-II on dendritic cells, which would limit the activation of CD4+ T cells.

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Secor Jr. ER. 2003. Nutritional supplements in the orthopedic patient: Current environment and considerations for management. Techniques in Orthopaedics 18:62-66.

Markow MJ, Secor Jr. ER. 2003. Acupuncture for the pain management of osteoarthritis of the knee. Techniques in Orthopaedics 18:33-36.

Secor Jr. ER, Blumberg JH, Markow MJ, MacKenzie J, Thrall RS. 2004. Implementation of outcome measures in a complementary and alternative medicine clinic: evidence of decreased pain and improved quality of life. J Alt Comp Med 10:506-513.

Secor Jr. ER, Carson IV, WF, Cloutier MM, Guernsey LA, Schramm CM, Wu CA, Thrall RS. 2005. Bromelain exerts anti-inflammatory effects in an ovalbumin-induced murine model of allergic airway disease. Cell Immunology 237:68-75.

Schramm CM, Guernsey L, Secor E, Thrall RS. 2006. Tolerance induced by chronic inhaled antigen in a murine asthma model is not mediated by endotoxin. Biochim Biophys Acta 1762:499-501.

Kabbur PM, Carson IV, WF, Guernsey LA, Secor Jr. ER, Thrall RS, Schramm CM. 2006. Interleukin-10 does not mediate inhalational tolerance in a chronic model of ovalbumin-induced allergic airway disease. Cell Immunology 239:67-74

Secor Jr. ER, Carson IV, WF, Singh A, Pensa M, Guernsey LA, Schramm CM, Thrall RS. 2007. Oral bromelain attenuates inflammation in an ovalbumin-induced murine model of asthma: eCAM online-link: http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/nel110v1

Secor Jr. ER, Singh A, Guernsey LA, Schramm CM Thrall RS. 2007. Modulation of CD25 dependant T cell activation by bromelain. eCAM (Accepted for Rapid Communication).

Singh A, Carson IV, WF, Secor Jr. ER, Guernsey LA, Flavell RA, Clark RB, Thrall RS, Schramm CM. 2007. Regulatory role of B cells in a murine model of allergic airway disease.
J Immunol (Pending revisions).

Carson IV, WF, Guernsey LA, Singh A, Secor Jr. ER, Wohlfert EA, Schramm CM, Clark RB, Thrall RS. 2007. Cbl-b deficiency results in exacerbation of acute inflammation and inhibits the spontaneous resolution of disease in the chronic stages of an ovalbumin-induced model of allergic airway disease in mice. Am J Pathol (Submitted for Publication).

Singh A, Thrall RS, Guernsey LA, Carson IV, WF, Secor Jr. ER, Chattopadhyay S, Cone R, Rajan TV, Schramm CM. 2007. Subcutaneous late phase responses are augmented during local inhalational tolerance in a murine asthma model. J Allergy Clin Immunol (Submitted for Publication).

Thirunavukkarasu M, Pant R, Zhan L, Varma Penumathsa S, Secor Jr. ER, Otani H, Thrall RS, Maulik N. 2007. Bromelain induces cardioprotection against ischemia reperfusion injury through Akt/Foxo Pathway in rat myocardium. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol (Submitted for Publication).

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2006
Secor Jr. ER, Pensa M, Singh A, Carson IV, WF, Guernsey LA, Thrall, RS. (May) Oral bromelain treatment reduces airway inflammation in an ovalbumin-induced model of allergic airway disease. North American Research Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine. Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Secor Jr. ER, Singh A, Carson IV, WF, Guernsey LA, Thrall RS. (Aug) Bromelain treatment reduces IL-6 and TNF-a levels in a murine model of acute allergic airway disease. 21th Annual American Association of Naturopathic Medicine Conference. Portland, OR.

Singh A, Carson IV,WF, Secor Jr. ER, Guernsey LA, Schramm CM, Thrall RS. (May) Role of B cells as antigen presenting cells in the development of an ovalbumin induced murine model of asthma. American Association of Immunologists Annual Conference. Boston, MA.

2007
Singh A, Carson IV,WF, Secor Jr. ER, Guernsey LA, Flavell RA, Clark RB, Thrall RS, Schramm CM (May). Adoptive transfer of hilar lymph node B cells inhibits allergic airway disease via induction of CD4+ CD25+Foxp3+ T cells. American Thoracic Society International Conference. San Francisco, CA.

McNamara JT, Carson IV,WF, Guernsey LA, Secor Jr. ER, Singh A, Schramm CM, Thrall RS (April). Regional increases of CD103+ Tregs corresponds with resolution of murine allergic airway disease. J. Immunol.178: 39.10.

Secor Jr. ER, Blumberg JH, Markow MJ, MacKenzie J, Thrall RS (Nov). Chiropractic care: Evidence of efficacy through practice-based outcomes research, American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Washington, DC. (Accepted for Poster Presentation).

Secor Jr. ER, Singh A, Guernsey LA, Schramm CM, Thrall RS (Oct). Modulation of CD25 dependant T cell activation by Bromelain. European Traditional Medicine 2007 International Congress Vinci, Italy (Accepted for Oral Presentation).

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2005
Babcock, Joe. The protease bromelain cleaves the antigen ovalbumin in vitro but not in-vivo. State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research Day, Undergraduate Student, Duke University, Raleigh, NC.

2006
Pensa, Mellisa. The effect of oral bromelain treatment in an ovalbumin-induced model of allergic airway disease. Graduate Student Research Day, Medical Student, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT.

Reiss, Alexander. The effect of bromelain treatment on regulatory T cells in a murine model of allergic airway disease. College Fellowship Poster Session, Undergraduate Student, University of CT, Storrs, CT.

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