Cardiovascular Center Investigators
Jianguo Liu, Ph.d.
Professor Saint Louis University School of MedicineDepartment of Internal Medicine-Infectious DiseaseCardiovascular Research Interests:
Primary area of research:
- Innate immune regulation in cardiovascular diseases
- Macrophage biology and chronic inflammation
Related areas of research:
- Cytokine and chemokine regulation in macrophages in atherosclerosis
Summary of cardiovascular research:
Our laboratory is currently studying the role of cytokines and chemokines in human diseases, with particular interest in exploring the effects of innate immunity in atherosclerosis and chronic inflammation. Since atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by arterial lesions composed of cholesterol, immune cells, and fibrosis, we are interested in the molecular mechanisms by which chemokines secreted from infiltrating macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells direct migration of inflammatory immune cells in the wall of injured blood vessels, and the role of inflamed macrophages in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We are also interested in the effects of apoE on cytokine expression and subsequent affects on local immune responses.
Other ongoing projects in our laboratory include: the role of the IL-12 cytokine family in protective immunity directed against mycobacterial tuberculosis; the role of IL-10 in the pathogenesis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and SLE; and the molecular mechanisms of chemokine-mediated tumor growth and metastasis.