Andreea M. Bujor

Bujor-AndreeaResearch Assistant Professor

Education:

Medical University “Iuliu Hatieganu”, Cluj Napoca, Romania, 1999-M.D. Degree

General Field of Work:

Medicine

Affiliations other than medicine:

Arthritis Center

Contact information:

Office: 72 E Concord St, Evans 516, Boston, MA, 02118

Office Phone: 617-638-7503

Lab Phone: 617-638-6856

Email: andreea@bu.edu

Keywords:

Scleroderma, extracellular matrix

Summary of academic interest:

Dr. Bujor’s work is aimed at unraveling the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of SSc with the ultimate goal of providing a basis for the discovery of an effective treatment. Dr. Bujor is researching a new non canonical TGFb/c-abl/PKCd/Fli-1 signaling pathway that is activated in SSc fibroblasts and contributes to fibrosis. This pathway can be targeted by the c-abl inhibitor Imatinib, an FDA ap! proved drug that is currently in clinical trials for scleroderma. Additional interests include investigating the role of caveolin-1 over-expression in dermal fibroblasts from selected subsets of SSc patients. The objective of this research is to establish the detailed role of caveolin-1 in the regulation of TGFb/Alk1/endoglin/Smad1 signaling in dermal SSc fibroblasts and its implications in extracellular matrix deposition.

Recent Publications:

1 Bujor AM, Pannu J, Bu S, Smith EA, Muise-Helmericks RC, Trojanowska M (2008). Akt blockade downregulates collagen and upregulates MMP1 in human dermal fibroblasts. J Invest Dermatol 128:1906-1914.
2 Bujor AM, Nakerekanti S, Morris E, Hant F, Trojanowska M (2009). Akt inhibition up-regulates CTGF and induces MMP1 in a CTGF dependent manner. Exp Dermatol 19(4):347-54
3 Bu S, Asano Y, Bujor AM, Highland K, Hant F, Trojanowska M (2009). Dihydrosphingosine-1 phosphate has a potent anti-fibrotic effect in Scleroderma fibroblasts via modulation of PTEN levels. Arthritis Rheum. 62(7):2117-2126.
4 Asano Y, Bujor AM, Trojanowska M (2010). The impact of Fli1 deficiency on the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis. J Dermatol Sci. PMC Journal –In Process
5 Nakerekanti S, Bujor AM, Trojanowska M (2010). CCN2 contributes to the profibrotic effects of TGFβ by facilitating activation of Smad1 and Fli1 signaling pathways. JBC, manuscript accepted, pending minor revisions.
6 Samuel G, Bujor AM, Hant F, Trojanowska M (2010) Autocrine TGFβ signaling regulates Protein Phosphatase 2A expression in Scleroderma fibroblasts. Manuscript submitted.