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, 2008
MS, University of Trieste, 2004
Biology, BS, University of Trieste, 2000
Publications
Caporarello N, Ligresti G. Vascular Contribution to Lung Repair and Fibrosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2023 May 01. PMID: 37126595.
Published on 3/25/2023Ruaro B, Tavano S, Confalonieri P, Pozzan R, Hughes M, Braga L, Volpe MC, Ligresti G, Andrisano AG, Lerda S, Geri P, Biolo M, Baratella E, Confalonieri M, Salton F. Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy and pulmonary fibrosis: A never-ending story? Heliyon. 2023 Apr; 9(4):e14768. PMID: 37025914.
Published on 1/20/2023Raslan AA, Pham TX, Lee J, Hong J, Schmottlach J, Nicolas K, Dinc T, Bujor AM, Caporarello N, Thiriot A, von Andrian UH, Huang SK, Nicosia RF, Trojanowska M, Varelas X, Ligresti G. Single Cell Transcriptomics of Fibrotic Lungs Unveils Aging-associated Alterations in Endothelial and Epithelial Cell Regeneration. bioRxiv. 2023 Jan 20. PMID: 36712020.
Published on 1/2/2023Ligresti G, Raslan AA, Hong J, Caporarello N, Confalonieri M, Huang SK. Mesenchymal cells in the Lung: Evolving concepts and their role in fibrosis. Gene. 2023 Apr 05; 859:147142. PMID: 36603696.
Published on 12/27/2022Betageri KR, Link PA, Haak AJ, Ligresti G, Tschumperlin DJ, Caporarello N. The matricellular protein CCN3 supports lung endothelial homeostasis and function. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2023 Feb 01; 324(2):L154-L168. PMID: 36573684.
Published on 12/17/2022Ribatti D, Ligresti G, Nicosia RF. Kidney endothelial cell heterogeneity, angiocrine activity and paracrine regulatory mechanisms. Vascul Pharmacol. 2023 Feb; 148:107139. PMID: 36539108.
Published on 10/12/2022Gao AY, Diaz Espinosa AM, Gianì F, Pham TX, Carver CM, Aravamudhan A, Bartman CM, Ligresti G, Caporarello N, Schafer MJ, Haak AJ. Pim-1 kinase is a positive feedback regulator of the senescent lung fibroblast inflammatory secretome. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2022 Dec 01; 323(6):L685-L697. PMID: 36223640.
Published on 9/28/2022Caporarello N, Lee J, Pham TX, Jones DL, Guan J, Link PA, Meridew JA, Marden G, Yamashita T, Osborne CA, Bhagwate AV, Huang SK, Nicosia RF, Tschumperlin DJ, Trojanowska M, Ligresti G. Author Correction: Dysfunctional ERG signaling drives pulmonary vascular aging and persistent fibrosis. Nat Commun. 2022 Sep 28; 13(1):5687. PMID: 36171208.
Published on 7/25/2022Caporarello N, Lee J, Pham TX, Jones DL, Guan J, Link PA, Meridew JA, Marden G, Yamashita T, Osborne CA, Bhagwate AV, Huang SK, Nicosia RF, Tschumperlin DJ, Trojanowska M, Ligresti G. Dysfunctional ERG signaling drives pulmonary vascular aging and persistent fibrosis. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 25; 13(1):4170. PMID: 35879310.
Published on 5/1/2022Ligresti G, Pham TX, Sanders YY. Circular RNA Methylation: A New Twist in Lung Fibrosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2022 May; 66(5):471-472. PMID: 35238732.
Media Mentions
Published on 7/25/2022
Researchers identify protein connected to aging and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
View full list of 1 media mentions.