RICHARD A. COHEN, M.D.
RICHARD A. COHEN, M.D.
Professor of Medicine, Physiology, and Pharmacology
Department of Medicine
Office: 650 Albany Street X720
Phone: 617-638-7115
Electronic mail: racohen@bu.edu
Research Interests:
The research programs of the Vascular Biology Unit are directed towards an integrative molecular understanding of abnormal vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cell function in diseased blood vessels and its contribution to abnormal vascular reactivity, hypertrophy, inflammation, and atherogenesis. Research projects focus on the mechanisms by which vascular risk factors associated with diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension lead to abnormal production of vasoactive factors from the endothelium and also how they alter the smooth muscle cell response. These factors include nitric oxide, prostanoids, oxygen–derived free radicals, cytokines, and growth factors. Experimental approaches employ cell physiology of cultured endothelial and smooth muscle cells with measurements of intracellular calcium and oxygen–derived free radicals, coupled with studies of molecular signaling. The influence of altered production of endothelial factors and signaling cascades on inflammatory responses and cell adhesion is studied as it applies to the development of atherosclerotic lesions, particularly in diabetes. Post-translational modification by tyrosine nitration and thiol oxidation of proteins studied by immuno/affinity labeling and mass spectrometry has been shown to alter the function of endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase, sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, p21ras, manganese superoxide dismutase, and prostacyclin synthase. S-glutathiolation has been demonstrated as a reversible thiol modification that that modulates cell signaling. Proteomic approaches are being used to screen proteins for oxidant modifications that occur as physiological mechanisms or are a consequence of excess reactive nitrogen species.
