David M. Center, MD
Associate Provost of Translational Research
Boston University Medical Campus

MD, Boston University School of Medicine
BA, Boston University



Dr. Center is Boston University’s Associate Provost for Translational Research and the Director of the Clinical and Translational Research Institute funded by the NIH. He directs Boston University’s efforts to facilitate translational research and advance team science, with a focus on the use of innovative methods for drug and device discovery and delivery and developing creative tools to expedite and retool traditional research processes. He is Chief of Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep and Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Medicine with an extensive experience in mentoring MDs and PhDs interested in Pulmonary Medicine and Lung Research. He was the Principal Investigator of the NHLBI sponsored Pulmonary Training Grant (T32) for over 20 years. In addition to his role in Pulmonary Medicine and Lung Research he directs the BU Clinical and Translational Science Institute, building infrastructure for clinical trials and translational research, including building links to entrepreneurship.

His own laboratory is interested in two major themes which revolve around roles for Interleukin-16, co-discovered with Bill Cruikshank in 1982. The first theme relates to the functions of IL-16 as a immunomodulatory cytokine. Over the past several years, in collaboration with Bill Cruikshank, he has studied the role of IL-16 in recruitment and development of Regulatory T cells and demonstrated that it plays a key role in tolerance to airborne allergens. Utilizing transgenic knockout and overexpressing mice his laboratory is involved in demonstrating the patterns of CD4+ T cell trafficking through lymph nodes and lung parenchymal in normal and immunologically challenged lungs and identifying potential therapeutic implications of altering recruitment patterns of Regulatory T cells.

The second major emphasis of his laboratory relates to the functional properties of the precursor protein for IL-16, Pro-IL-16 as a tumor suppressor gene. In these studies he has shown that Interleukin-16 is synthesized as a precursor which is present in cytoplasm and nucleus of resting T cells. It contains a phosphorylation regulated nuclear localization motif and binds a nuclear chaperone hsc70 which is essential for transport to the nucleus where its presence induces arrest of the cell cycle at G0/G1. It inhibits the cell cycle by acting as a scaffolding protein that assembles a histone deacetylase complex targeted via binding to GA-BP to the Skp2 promoter using intermolecular PDZ binding motifs. Skp2 is an essential member of the ubiquitin ligase protein degradation pathway responsive for degrading the cell cycle cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p27. In the presence of pro-IL-16, the complex inhibits Skp2 transcription, which in turn decreases p27 degradation resulting in rises in p27 levels and arrest of the cell cycle in G1. Current studies are directed at identifying mutations in Pro-IL-16 that predispose to T cell malignancies and determining its role is permissive exit from G1 in normal T cell activation and proliferation following antigen stimulation.

Gordon and Ruth Snider Chair
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep & Critical Care Medicine

Gordon and Ruth Snider Professor of Pulmonary Medicine
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine


Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep & Critical Care Medicine

Research Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Biochemistry & Cell Biology


Section Chief
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep & Critical Care Medicine

Member
Boston University
Pulmonary Center


Member
Boston University
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research


Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students)
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences




NRSA Training Core
04/15/2020 - 05/01/2025 (Key Person)
PI: Darrell Nelson Kotton, MD
NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
5TL1TR001410-09

The Boston University Clinical and Transitional Science Institute
04/15/2020 - 03/31/2025 (Multi-PI)
PI: David M. Center, MD
NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
5UL1TR001430-09

Institutional Career Development
04/15/2020 - 03/31/2025 (Key Person)
PI: Natalia E. Morone, MD, MS
NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
5KL2TR001411-09

Biology of the Lung: A Multidisciplinary Program
07/01/2018 - 06/30/2021 (Multi-PI)
PI: David M. Center, MD
NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
5T32HL007035-45

Biology of the Lung: A Multidisciplinary Program
07/01/2017 - 06/30/2021 (Multi-PI)
PI: David M. Center, MD
NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
5T32HL007035-42

Biology of the Lung: A Multidisciplinary Program
07/01/2016 - 06/30/2021 (Multi-PI)
PI: David M. Center, MD
NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
5T32HL007035-42

Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (Administrative Supplement)
07/06/2020 - 03/31/2021 (Multi-PI)
PI: David M. Center, MD
NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
3UL1TR001430-05A1S1

The Boston University Clinical and Transitional Science Institute (All Components)
04/01/2018 - 03/31/2020 (PI)
NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
5UL1TR001430-04

The Boston University Clinical and Transitional Science Institute (All Components)
04/01/2016 - 03/31/2019 (PI)
NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
5UL1TR001430-02

Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (U Cooperative Agreement)
08/13/2015 - 03/31/2019 (PI)
NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
1UL1TR001430-01

Showing 10 of 28 results. Show All Results


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2024 Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute 5UL1TR001430-09
2023 Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute 5UL1TR001430-08
2023 Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute 3UL1TR001430-08S1
2022 Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute 5UL1TR001430-07
2022 Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute 3UL1TR001430-07S1
2021 Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute 5UL1TR001430-06 142
2020 Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute 3UL1TR001430-05A1S2 142
2020 Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute 2UL1TR001430-05A1 142
2020 Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute 3UL1TR001430-05A1S1 142
2020 Biology of the Lung: A Multidisciplinary Program 5T32HL007035-45 121
Showing 10 of 141 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Center DM, Mizgerd JP. In Memoriam: Jerome S. Brody, M.D., A Red Journal Founder. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2023 May; 68(5):465-466.View Related Profiles. PMID: 36780672; PMCID: PMC10174165; DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2023-0044ED;
     
  2. Traber KE, Center DM. Toward a More Precise Solution to Asthma Therapy. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2021 09; 65(3):241-242.View Related Profiles. PMID: 34153196; PMCID: PMC8485991; DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2021-0227ED;
     
  3. Center DM. Ligelizumab for Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria. Reply. N Engl J Med. 2020 02 06; 382(6):580. PMID: 32023387
     
  4. Center DM. A Better IgE Trap to Control Urticaria. N Engl J Med. 2019 10 03; 381(14):1376-1377. PMID: 31577881
     
  5. Ravid K, Seta F, Center D, Waters G, Coleman D. Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research and Training: Initial Outcomes and Evolution of the Affinity Research Collaboratives Model. Acad Med. 2017 Oct; 92(10):1399-1405.View Related Profiles. PMID: 28445220
     
  6. Curiel-Lewandrowski C, Yamasaki H, Si CP, Jin X, Zhang Y, Richmond J, Tuzova M, Wilson K, Sullivan B, Jones D, Ryzhenko N, Little F, Kupper TS, Center DM, Cruikshank WW. Retraction: Loss of nuclear pro-IL-16 facilitates cell cycle progression in human cutaneous T cell lymphoma. J Clin Invest. 2014 Nov; 124(11):5085.View Related Profiles. PMID: 25365075; PMCID: PMC4347257; DOI: 10.1172/JCI79199;
     
  7. Richmond J, Tuzova M, Cruikshank W, Center D. Regulation of cellular processes by interleukin-16 in homeostasis and cancer. J Cell Physiol. 2014 Feb; 229(2):139-47.View Related Profiles. PMID: 23893766; DOI: 10.1002/jcp.24441;
     
  8. Center DM, Schwartz DA, Solway J, Gail D, Laposky AD, Lin QS, Gan W. Genomic medicine and lung diseases. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012 Aug 1; 186(3):280-5. PMID: 22652029; PMCID: PMC3423454; DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201203-0569WS;
     
  9. Shamoon H, Center D, Davis P, Tuchman M, Ginsberg H, Califf R, Stephens D, Mellman T, Verbalis J, Nadler L, Shekhar A, Ford D, Rizza R, Shaker R, Brady K, Murphy B, Cronstein B, Hochman J, Greenland P, Orwoll E, Sinoway L, Greenberg H, Jackson R, Coller B, Topol E, Guay-Woodford L, Runge M, Clark R, McClain D, Selker H, Lowery C, Dubinett S, Berglund L, Cooper D, Firestein G, Johnston SC, Solway J, Heubi J, Sokol R, Nelson D, Tobacman L, Rosenthal G, Aaronson L, Barohn R, Kern P, Sullivan J, Shanley T, Blazar B, Larson R, FitzGerald G, Reis S, Pearson T, Buchanan T, McPherson D, Brasier A, Toto R, Disis M, Drezner M, Bernard G, Clore J, Evanoff B, Imperato-McGinley J, Sherwin R, Pulley J. Preparedness of the CTSA's structural and scientific assets to support the mission of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). Clin Transl Sci. 2012 Apr; 5(2):121-9. PMID: 22507116; PMCID: PMC3335735; DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-8062.2012.00401.x;
     
  10. Curiel-Lewandrowski C, Yamasaki H, Si CP, Jin X, Zhang Y, Richmond J, Tuzova M, Wilson K, Sullivan B, Jones D, Ryzhenko N, Little F, Kupper TS, Center DM, Cruikshank WW. Loss of nuclear pro-IL-16 facilitates cell cycle progression in human cutaneous T cell lymphoma. J Clin Invest. 2011 Dec; 121(12):4838-49.View Related Profiles. PMID: 22080865; PMCID: PMC3225985; DOI: 10.1172/JCI41769;
     
Showing 10 of 155 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 150 publications over 39 distinct years, with a maximum of 14 publications in 1996

YearPublications
19801
19812
19823
19837
19847
19859
19864
19873
19883
19891
19903
19913
19921
19932
19942
19958
199614
19979
19989
19998
20009
20014
20026
20038
20042
20052
20063
20073
20081
20091
20101
20112
20122
20142
20171
20191
20201
20211
20231


Do quartz countertops put homeowners at risk of lung disease?

Boston.com 7/26/2023

MED’s Biology of the Lung Funded through Its 50th—Yes, 50th—Year

BU Today 9/23/2021

Ligelizumab Improves Chronic Urticaria Symptom Control Versus Omalizumab

MD Mag 10/8/2019

Ligelizumab May Improve Response in Chronic Urticaria

Medscape 10/3/2019

Ditch the Itch: Researchers Find New Drug to Fight Hives

Health Day 10/2/2019

BU and Johnson & Johnson Innovation Team Up to Fight Lung Cancer

BU Today 6/6/2018

2012-2012 American Thoracic Society: Edward Livingston Trudeau Medal
2011-2011 Society for Clinical and Translational Science: Elected Treasurer
2009-2012 Best of Boston, Pulmonary Physicians
2008 Massachusetts Thoracic Society: Chadwick Medal
2003-2007 Best of Boston, Pulmonary Physicians
2002 Boston University School of Medicine: Distinguished Alumnus Award
2002-2012 Best Physicians in America
2002-2006 NHLBI Board of Extramural Advisors
1996 Association of American Physicians: Elected Member
1990 Boston University: AOA
1989 American Society for Clinical Investigation: Elected Member
1987-1988 A.F.C.R.: Elected National Secretary/Treasurer
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

Chemotaxis
Interleukin 16
T Cell Immunology
Translational Research
Lung Inflammation
Pulmonary Inflammation
Lung Research
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