Giovanni Ligresti PhD
Associate Professor, Rheumatology
Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students)
72 East Concord Street | (617) 358-6786ligresti@bu.edu
Sections
Rheumatology
Centers
Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Center
Pulmonary Center
Biography
My laboratory focuses on lung repair and pulmonary fibrosis. We are currently investigating molecular mechanisms implicated in the differentiation of lung fibroblasts into myofibroblasts during lung fibrosis, with particular emphasis on transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms driving persistent fibrogenesis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We have recently discovered that in the lung, myofibroblast differentiation occurs through the engagement of chromatin modifier enzymes and epigenetic readers. We found that the histone methyltransferase G9a and the epigenetic reader CBX5 play a critical role in lung fibroblast activation, and that targeting these epigenetic modifiers enhanced mitochondrial function, blocked ECM protein secretion, and attenuated lung fibrogenesis.
In addition, my laboratory is interested in investigating the impact of aging on the development of pulmonary fibrosis. We have recently discovered that the endothelium of aged mouse lungs is dysfunctional and this abnormality leads to capillary loss and persistent lung fibrosis following injury. Using a multi-omics approach (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and scRNA-seq) we have identified transcriptional programs in lung endothelial cells orchestrating lung vascular repair and whose abnormal activation with aging leads to persistent lung fibrosis.
Education
Biomedical Sciences, PhD, University of Trieste
MS, University of Trieste
Biology, BS, University of Trieste
Publications
Antar SA, Mensah E, Dahlka J, Aziz M, Halouani A, Imani S, Parashar A, Raslan AA, Benezra R, Fraidenraich D, Ligresti G, Sassi Y. A Simultaneous Inhibition of ID1 and ID3 Protects Against Pulmonary Fibrosis. bioRxiv. 2025 Jul 26. PMID: 40777426.
Published on 7/25/2025Dinc MT, El-Adili F, Lui JK, Kripesh S, York M, Trojanowski M, Ligresti G, Lafyatis R, Trojanowska M, Bujor AM. Transcriptomic profiling of scleroderma monocytes reveals links with cardiovascular complications, implicating Notch and interferon pathways. J Scleroderma Relat Disord. 2025 Jul 25; 23971983251356123. PMID: 40735732.
Published on 6/1/2025Hong J, Pham TX, Lee J, Raslan AA, Nicolas K, Sharov A, Meridew JA, Urrutia RA, Lomberk G, Huang SK, Ligresti G. Targeting the Epigenetic Regulator CBX5 Promotes Fibroblast Metabolic Reprogramming and Inhibits Lung Fibrosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2025 Jun; 72(6):627-642. PMID: 39642371.
Published on 5/24/2025Gianì F, Roos BB, Link PA, Somasundram B, Dresler SR, Sciacca E, Vancheri C, Javeed N, Ligresti G, Tschumperlin DJ, Caporarello N. Vascular protection by young circulating extracellular vesicles ameliorates aging-related pulmonary fibrosis. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2025 Jul 01; 329(1):C159-C169. PMID: 40411768.
Published on 1/1/2025Aplin AC, Ligresti G, Nicosia RF. Serum-Free Mouse Aortic Ring Assay of Angiogenesis. Methods Mol Biol. 2025; 2956:97-110. PMID: 40859078.
Published on 8/7/2024Yamashita T, Kaplan U, Chakraborty A, Marden G, Gritli S, Roh D, Bujor A, Trojanowski M, Ligresti G, Browning JL, Trojanowska M. ERG Regulates Lymphatic Vessel Specification Genes and Its Deficiency Impairs Wound Healing-Associated Lymphangiogenesis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2024 Nov; 76(11):1645-1657. PMID: 38965683.
Published on 6/27/2024Raslan AA, Pham TX, Lee J, Kontodimas K, Tilston-Lunel A, Schmottlach J, Hong J, Dinc T, Bujor AM, Caporarello N, Thiriot A, von Andrian UH, Huang SK, Nicosia RF, Trojanowska M, Varelas X, Ligresti G. Lung injury-induced activated endothelial cell states persist in aging-associated progressive fibrosis. Nat Commun. 2024 Jun 27; 15(1):5449. PMID: 38937456.
Published on 2/11/2024Wang X, Li X, Zhao J, Li Y, Shin SR, Ligresti G, Ng AHM, Bromberg JS, Church G, Lemos DR, Abdi R. Rapid Generation of hPSC-Derived High Endothelial Venule Organoids with In Vivo Ectopic Lymphoid Tissue Capabilities. Adv Mater. 2024 Apr; 36(15):e2308760. PMID: 38306610.
Published on 1/24/2024Chakraborty A, Kim A, AlAbdullatif S, Campbell JD, Alekseyev YO, Kaplan U, Dambal V, Ligresti G, Trojanowska M. Endothelial Erg Regulates Expression of Pulmonary Lymphatic Junctional and Inflammation Genes in Mouse Lungs Impacting Lymphatic Transport. Res Sq. 2024 Jan 24. PMID: 38343832.
Published on 10/1/2023Liang J, Ligresti G. Aging Delays Lung Repair: Insights from Omics Analysis in Mice with Pulmonary Fibrosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2023 Oct; 69(4):376-377. PMID: 37437301.
Media Mentions
Published on 7/25/2022
Researchers identify protein connected to aging and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
View full list of 1 media mentions.