Research in the Predescu/Mokhlesi lab utilizes a combination of molecular, cell biology and genetics in conjunction with human patients’ cell lines and murine models bearing conditional and systemic mutations to analyze pulmonary endothelial cells function in normal physiology and disease.
Current projects in the lab include:
1. Effects of hypoxia, hypercapnia, and obesity on pulmonary vascular disease, specifically in pulmonary arterial hypertension.
2. Sexual dimorphism of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
3. Vascular injury and repair.
The lab has an ongoing program to characterize the effects of different hypoxia conditions that closely recapitulate human disease on the pulmonary artery endothelial cells’ phenotype, in vitro and in vivo and whether obesity is a risk factor for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Cultured cells and murine models are subjected to sustained, intermittent, overlap hypoxia using hypoxia BioSpherix chambers for cell culture system or in vivo modeling. Defining potential mechanisms underlying these risk factors may lead to potential novel treatment strategies.
A major effort of the lab focuses on understanding the effects of the abnormal levels of the long noncoding RNA XIST on X-linked genes expression and the consequences on endothelial cell cycle and proliferation. The aim is to understand how Xist upregulation contributes to the sexual dimorphism of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Finally, the research group studies the therapeutic effects of microparticles isolated from the blood of ARDS patients and parent mesenchymal stem cells on injured pulmonary vessels. The objective is to develop a novel and clinically safe therapeutic approach for ARDS treatment, a desirable alternative to stem cell therapy.
Our team
Dan Predescu, MD
Shanshan Qin, MD
Kanika Sharma, PhD student
Heaven Wade, PhD student
Prior team members
Trushil Shah, MD
Niranjan, Jeganathan, MD
Mona Vashi, MD
Sunit Singla, MD
Monal Patel, PhD
Christina Bardita, MD, PhD
Brandon Carman, PhD
Contact Us
Babak Mokhlesi, MD, M.Sc.
Email: Babak_Mokhlesi@rush.edu
Sanda Predescu, PhD
Email: Sanda_Predescu@rush.edu
Selected Publications
Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome, and Pulmonary Hypertension: A State-of-the-Art Review. Bjork S, Jain D, Marliere MH, Predescu SA, Mokhlesi B. Sleep Med Clin. 2024 Jun;19(2):307-325. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2024.02.009. Epub 2024 Mar 12. PMID: 38692755 Review.
Dysregulation of the Long Noncoding RNA X-Inactive-Specific Transcript Expression in Male Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Carman BL, Qin S, Predescu DN, Jana M, Cortese R, Aldred MA, Gozal D, Mokhlesi B, Predescu SA. Am J Pathol. 2024 May 3:S0002-9440(24)00166-4. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.04.005. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38705381
RUNX1 mediates the therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells-derived microparticles in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Predescu D, Qin S, Stefanis V, Carman B, Ganesh B, Sharma K, Mokhlesi B, Predescu S. Clin Transl Med. 2023 Nov;13(11):e1455. doi: 10.1002/ctm2.1455. PMID: 37955231.
The Impact of Sex Chromosomes in the Sexual Dimorphism of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Predescu DN, Mokhlesi B, Predescu SA. Am J Pathol. 2022 Apr;192(4):582-594. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2022.01.005. Epub 2022 Feb 1. PMID: 35114193. Review.
Up-Regulation of the Long Noncoding RNA X-Inactive-Specific Transcript and the Sex Bias in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Qin S, Predescu D, Carman B, Patel P, Chen J, Kim M, Lahm T, Geraci M, Predescu SA. Am J Pathol. 2021 Jun;191(6):1135-1150. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2021.03.009. Epub 2021 Apr 6. PMID: 33836164.
Plexiform Arteriopathy in Rodent Models of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Carman BL, Predescu DN, Machado R, Predescu SA. Am J Pathol. 2019 Jun;189(6):1133-1144. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2019.02.005. Epub 2019 Mar 26. PMID: 30926336. Review.
Mesenchymal stem cells-derived extracellular vesicles in acute respiratory distress syndrome: a review of current literature and potential future treatment options. Shah TG, Predescu D, Predescu S. Clin Transl Med. 2019 Sep 12;8(1):25. doi: 10.1186/s40169-019-0242-9. PMID: 31512000. Review.
Alk5/Runx1 signaling mediated by extracellular vesicles promotes vascular repair in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Shah T, Qin S, Vashi M, Predescu DN, Jeganathan N, Bardita C, Ganesh B, diBartolo S, Fogg LF, Balk RA, Predescu SA. Clin Transl Med. 2018 Jun 22;7(1):19. doi: 10.1186/s40169-018-0197-2. PMID: 29931538.
Modulation of Intersectin-1s Lung Expression Induces Obliterative Remodeling and Severe Plexiform Arteriopathy in the Murine Pulmonary Vascular Bed. Patel M, Predescu D, Bardita C, Chen J, Jeganathan N, Pritchard M, DiBartolo S, Machado R, Predescu S. Am J Pathol. 2017 Mar;187(3):528-542. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2016.11.012. Epub 2017 Jan 6. PMID: 28068512.
Rac1-mediated cytoskeleton rearrangements induced by intersectin-1s deficiency promotes lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis. Jeganathan N, Predescu D, Zhang J, Sha F, Bardita C, Patel M, Wood S, Borgia JA, Balk RA, Predescu S. Mol Cancer. 2016 Sep 14;15(1):59. doi: 10.1186/s12943-016-0543-1. PMID: 27629044.