Robert A. Lafyatis MD

Adjunct Professor, Rheumatology

75 E. Newton St | (617) 638-4310
Robert Lafyatis
Sections

Rheumatology

Centers

Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research

Biography

Dr. Lafyatis carries out patient oriented research into the cause and treatment of systemic sclerosis. This includes early phase clinical trials into new therapeutic agents in patients with systemic sclerosis. He has been investigating the mechanisms of actions and markers of response for novel therapeutics, such as the B cell depleting agent, rituximab and the immunosuppressant agent, mycophenlate. Additional studies are aimed at identifying biomarkers in systemic sclerosis using microarray gene expression analysis of skin and blood in scleroderma patients. Ongoing biomarker studies include investigation into molecular markers of pulmonary hypertension in systemic sclerosis. Dr. Lafyatis also carries out basic research into the cause of fibrosis and vasculopathy in systemic sclerosis using patient samples and murine disease models. His studies have provided key insights into one widely used model of systemic sclerosis, the tight skin mouse. His studies are currently focused on understanding how autoimmunity and the innate immune system lead to fibrosis and vascular damage. This has recently led to the discovery of increased interferon-regulated gene expression in white blood cells of patients with systemic sclerosis. Ongoing research is aimed at better understanding the cause of altered gene expression by monocytes and other cells in the innate immune system.

Education

MD, University of Cincinnati

BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Publications

Published on 2/1/2025

Gaydosik AM, Tabib T, Das J, Larregina A, Lafyatis R, Fuschiotti P. Dysfunctional KLRB1+CD8+ T-cell responses are generated in chronically inflamed systemic sclerosis skin. Ann Rheum Dis. 2025 Feb 01. PMID: 39894688.

Published on 2/1/2025

Hammaker K, Hu H, Laffoon M, Freno LA, Lafyatis R, Park Y, Domsic RT. Association of the Apollo Wearable With Fatigue, Raynaud Phenomenon, and Quality of Life in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis: A Pilot Study. J Rheumatol. 2025 Feb 01; 52(2):158-164. PMID: 39617410.

Published on 1/24/2025

Harvey LD, Alotaibi M, Tai YY, Tang Y, Kim HJ, Kelly NJ, Sun W, Woodcock CC, Arshad S, Culley MK, El Khoury W, Xie R, Al Aaraj Y, Zhao J, Hafeez N, Rao RJ, Jiang S, Negi V, Kirillova A, Perk D, Watson AM, St Croix CM, Stolz DB, Lee JY, Cheng MH, Zhang M, Detmer S, Guzman E, Manan RS, Saggar R, Haley KJ, Waxman AB, Okawa S, Schwantes-An TH, Pauciulo MW, Wang B, Webb A, Chauvet C, Anderson DG, Nichols WC, Desai AA, Lafyatis R, Nouraie SM, Wu H, McDonald JG, Cheng S, Bahar I, Bertero T, Benza RL, Jain M, Chan SY. Lysosomal dysfunction and inflammatory sterol metabolism in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Science. 2025 Jan 24; 387(6732):eadn7277. PMID: 39847635.

Published on 1/15/2025

Biedka S, Yablonska S, Peng X, Alkam D, Hartoyo M, VanEvery H, Kass DJ, Byrum SD, Xiao K, Zhang Y, Domsic RT, Lafyatis R, Ascherman DP, Minden JS. IP-to-MS: An Unbiased Workflow for Antigen Profiling. J Proteome Res. 2025 Feb 07; 24(2):795-812. PMID: 39814365.

Published on 1/13/2025

Kirillova A, Sethuraman M, Dong X, Kirdar A, Speyer G, Al Aaraj Y, Watson A, Schneider LK, Creager MD, Lafyatis R, Okawa S, Kim S, Chan SY. Reversal of inflammatory reprogramming by vasodilator agents in pulmonary hypertension. ERJ Open Res. 2025 Jan; 11(1). PMID: 39811555.

Published on 12/13/2024

Hukara A, Bonazza GA, Tabib T, Micheroli R, Jordan S, Bürki K, Rudnik M, Ciurea A, Distler O, Lafyatis R, Blyszczuk P, Kania G. Elevated Fcy receptor expression augments pro-inflammatory macrophage phagocytosis in systemic sclerosis and associated rheumatic diseases. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2024 Dec 13. PMID: 39672802.

Published on 12/2/2024

Warunek JJ, Fan L, Zhang X, Wang S, Sanders SM, Li T, Mathews LR, Dwyer GK, Wood-Trageser MA, Traczek S, Lesniak A, Baron K, Spencer H, Bou Saba J, León Colón E, Tabib T, Lafyatis R, Ross MA, Demetris AJ, Watkins SC, Webber SA, Abou-Daya KI, Turnquist HR. Dysregulated Treg repair responses lead to chronic rejection after heart transplantation. J Clin Invest. 2024 Dec 02; 134(23). PMID: 39621314.

Published on 12/1/2024

Shehabeldin M, Kobyra J, Cho Y, Gao J, Chong R, Tabib T, Lafyatis R, Little SR, Sfeir C. Local Controlled Delivery of IL-4 Decreases Inflammatory Bone Loss in a Murine Model of Periodontal Disease. J Immunol. 2024 Dec 01; 213(11):1635-1643. PMID: 39465979.

Published on 10/28/2024

Valenzi E, Jia M, Gerges P, Fan J, Tabib T, Behara R, Zhou Y, Sembrat J, Das J, Benos PV, Singh H, Lafyatis R. Altered AP-1, RUNX and EGR chromatin dynamics drive fibrotic lung disease. bioRxiv. 2024 Oct 28. PMID: 39554071.

Published on 10/1/2024

Tirelli F, Pachera E, Gmür S, Lafyatis R, Huang M, Zulian F, Camarillo Retamosa E, Kania G, Distler O. Long non-coding RNA H19X as a regulator of mononuclear cell adhesion to the endothelium in systemic sclerosis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2024 Oct 01; 63(10):2846-2855. PMID: 38305495.

View full list of 265 publications.