Frederic F. Little, MD
Clinical Associate Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep & Critical Care Medicine

MD, Tufts University School of Medicine
AB, Harvard College



Dr. Little is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine. He attends on the Allergy Consultation Service as well as the Medical Intensive Care Unit and Pulmonary Consultation Service at Boston Medical Center. His outpatient activity is concentrated in the Adult Asthma and Allergy Clinics.

Dr. Little’s longstanding clinical interests and research efforts are focused on examining the nature of airway inflammation in allergic asthma, and translational approaches to diagnostics of allergic disease.

Prior to coming to Boston University, during a postdoctoral fellowship at the UCSF Cardiovascular Research Institute , he investigated the effect of causing an experimental cold in asthmatic and healthy volunteers, followed by concurrent examination of clinical asthma markers (e.g., spirometry, symptoms) and airway secretions by nasal lavage and sputum induction.

In the laboratory, he used key cytokine transgenic and knockout mice to investigate antigen-dependent and -independent allergic airway inflammation. Specifically, he investigated interleukin-16, a major CD4 ligand, as a paradigm for downregulation of antigen-dependent TH2 inflammation.

In his translational research at Boston University he served as a principal investigator in an adult Asthma Clinic-based study to develop a rapid saliva diagnostics platform for determining the causes of deterioration in asthma control. This study expanded to both Emergency Room populations at B.U. and cohorts of pediatric asthmatics in collaboration Dr. Elizabeth Matsui, Pediatric Allergy/Immunology (then at Johns Hopkins and currently at UT Austin). This translational approach has also been used in developing a point of care device to accurately and rapidly quantify blood allergen-specific IgE using component-resolved diagnostics. This latter effort was in collaboration with Drs. M. Selim Unlü in the Boston University College of Engineering.

He has also participated as a Co-Investigator in several immunotherapy trials with the NHLBI-funded Inner City Asthma Consortium, in collaboration with the BUMC site PI, Dr. George O’Connor.

Dr. Little’s educational and administrative responsibilities include directing the Boston University Allergy/Immunology Fellowship Training Program and formerly as Medical Director of the Pulmonary, Allergy and Sleep Clinics. He is also involved in several multi-disciplinary efforts leveraging his expertise in Allergy/Immunology including antibiotic stewardship and developing protocols for drug desensitization and graded challenges (with Pharmacy and Infectious Disease), touching on improving care delivery in the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Research interests include:
-Pulmonary Immunology
-Salivary Diagnostics of Lung Disease
-Point of Care Diagnostics of Allergic Disease

Clinical interests include:
-Asthma/Allergy
-Critical Care Medicine
-Eosinophilic Disorders

Member
Boston University
Pulmonary Center




Multiplexed, Rapid, Point of Care Device to Quantify Specific IgE to Common Allergens
08/01/2011 - 07/31/2015 (Key Person)
PI: Selim Ünlü, PhD
NIH/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering
5R21EB015900-03

Multiplexed, Rapid, Point of Care Device to Quantify Specific IgE to Common Allergens
08/01/2011 - 07/31/2014 (Key Person)
PI: Selim Ünlü, PhD
NIH/National Center for Health Research Resources
1R21RR032378-01

Rapid Disposable Microchip for Complete Blood Count
07/01/2012 - 06/30/2014 (Co-Investigator)
The General Hospital Corporation d/b/a Massachusetts General Hospital NIH NIBIB
5U54EB015408-02

Effect of IL-16 on the Murine Allergic Airway Response
07/01/2003 - 06/30/2009 (PI)
NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
5 K08 HL71607 05

The Role of Airway Epithelial Expression of IL-16 in Th2-mediated Lung Inflammation
07/01/2002 - 06/30/2005 (PI)
Parker B. Francis Foundation


Microsensor Arrays for Salivary Diagnostics
09/01/2006 - 02/28/2013 (PI)
Tufts University NIH-NIDCR


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2007 Effect of IL-16 on the Murine Allergic Airway Response 5K08HL071607-05 1
2006 Effect of IL-16 on the Murine Allergic Airway Response 5K08HL071607-04 1
2005 Effect of IL-16 on the Murine Allergic Airway Response 5K08HL071607-03 1
2004 Effect of IL-16 on the Murine Allergic Airway Response 5K08HL071607-02 1
2003 Effect of IL-16 on the Murine Allergic Airway Response 1K08HL071607-01 1

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Zoratti E, Wood R, Pomés A, Da Silva Antunes R, Altman MC, Benson B, Wheatley LM, Cho K, Calatroni A, Little FF, Pongracic J, Makhija M, Khurana Hershey GK, Sherenian MG, Rivera-Spoljaric K, Stokes JR, Gill MA, Gruchalla RS, Chambliss J, Liu AH, Kattan M, Busse PJ, Bacharier LB, Sheehan W, Kim H, Glesner J, Gergen PJ, Togias A, Baucom JL, Visness CM, Sette A, Busse WW, Jackson DJ. A pediatric randomized, controlled trial of German cockroach subcutaneous immunotherapy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2024 Sep; 154(3):735-744.e10. PMID: 38718950; PMCID: PMC11380590; DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2024.04.022;
     
  2. Katari, P and Little FF. Anaphylaxis. In: Intensive Care Medicine; Irwin, R.S and Rippe, J.M eds. 9th Edition. 2024.
  3. Kearney L, Wiener RS, Dahodwala M, Fix GM, Hicks J, Little F, Howard J, Foreman AG, Wakeman C, O'Donnell C, Bulekova K, Drainoni ML, Kathuria H. A mixed methods study to inform and evaluate a longitudinal nurse practitioner/community health worker intervention to address social determinants of health and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease self-management. BMC Pulm Med. 2022 Mar 01; 22(1):74.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35232414; PMCID: PMC8889692; DOI: 10.1186/s12890-022-01863-w;
     
  4. Vesper S, Wymer L, Kroner J, Pongracic JA, Zoratti EM, Little FF, Wood RA, Kercsmar CM, Gruchalla RS, Gill MA, Kattan M, Teach SJ, Patel S, Johnson CC, Bacharier LB, Gern JE, Jackson DJ, Sigelman SM, Togias A, Liu AH, Busse WW, Khurana Hershey GK. Association of mold levels in urban children's homes with difficult-to-control asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2022 Apr; 149(4):1481-1485. PMID: 34606833; PMCID: PMC8975947; DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.07.047;
     
  5. Risma KA, Edwards KM, Hummell DS, Little FF, Norton AE, Stallings A, Wood RA, Milner JD. Potential mechanisms of anaphylaxis to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2021 06; 147(6):2075-2082.e2. PMID: 33857566; PMCID: PMC8056854; DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.04.002;
     
  6. Sheehan WJ, Krouse RZ, Calatroni A, Gergen PJ, Gern JE, Gill MA, Gruchalla RS, Khurana Hershey GK, Kattan M, Kercsmar CM, Lamm CI, Little FF, Makhija MM, Searing DA, Zoratti E, Busse WW, Teach SJ. Aeroallergen Sensitization, Serum IgE, and Eosinophilia as Predictors of Response to Omalizumab Therapy During the Fall Season Among Children with Persistent Asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020 10; 8(9):3021-3028.e2. PMID: 32376491; PMCID: PMC8775809; DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.03.051;
     
  7. Pratt PK, David N, Weber HC, Little FF, Kourkoumpetis T, Patts GJ, Weinberg J, Farraye FA. Antibody Response to Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine is Impaired in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease on Infliximab Therapy. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2018 01 18; 24(2):380-386.View Related Profiles. PMID: 29361083
     
  8. Nie S, Zhang H, Mayer KM, Oppenheim FG, Little FF, Greenberg J, Uluer AZ, Walt DR. Correlations of salivary biomarkers with clinical assessments in patients with cystic fibrosis. PLoS One. 2015; 10(8):e0135237.View Related Profiles. PMID: 26258476; PMCID: PMC4530931; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135237;
     
  9. Nie S, Henley WH, Miller SE, Zhang H, Mayer KM, Dennis PJ, Oblath EA, Alarie JP, Wu Y, Oppenheim FG, Little FF, Uluer AZ, Wang P, Ramsey JM, Walt DR. An automated integrated platform for rapid and sensitive multiplexed protein profiling using human saliva samples. Lab Chip. 2014 Mar 21; 14(6):1087-98.View Related Profiles. PMID: 24448498; PMCID: PMC3996899; DOI: 10.1039/c3lc51303c;
     
  10. Little FF, Delgado DM, Wexler PJ, Oppenheim FG, Mitchell P, Feldman JA, Walt DR, Peng RD, Matsui EC. Salivary inflammatory mediator profiling and correlation to clinical disease markers in asthma. PLoS One. 2014; 9(1):e84449.View Related Profiles. PMID: 24409298; PMCID: PMC3883659; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084449;
     
Showing 10 of 40 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 40 publications over 22 distinct years, with a maximum of 6 publications in 2003

YearPublications
19841
19882
19891
19991
20011
20021
20036
20041
20063
20072
20083
20091
20101
20114
20132
20142
20151
20181
20201
20212
20221
20242


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Up North News 8/7/2023

No, You’re Not Imagining It: Seasonal Allergies Are Getting Worse

BU Today 4/27/2023

The Top 10 Most-Read Stories on BU Today in 2022

BU Today 12/19/2022

How to manage seasonal allergies this fall

WBUR 10/19/2022

No, You’re Not Imagining It: Seasonal Allergies Are Worse This Year

BU Today 6/21/2022

It's the time of year New England allergy sufferers dread. Here are tips to help you prepare

Vermont Public Radio 4/16/2022

It's the time of year New England allergy sufferers dread. Here are tips to help you prepare for spring

WBUR 4/8/2022
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

Allergic Airway Inflammation - Mouse models
Allergy/Immunology
Asthma - Translational Studies
Biomarkers, Asthma
Clinical Asthma
Hypersensitivity, Immediate
Rapid Diagnostics/Biomarkers of Lung and Allergic Disease
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