Robert A. Lafyatis, MD
Adjunct Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Rheumatology

MD, University of Cincinnati
BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology



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.

Member
Boston University
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research




A Phase 2, Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Multicenter Study to Evaluate Safety, Tolerability, Efficacy, and Pharmacokinetics of JBT-101 in Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis
12/01/2015 - 11/30/2021 (Co-Investigator)
PI: Robert W. Simms, MD
Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc.


A Phase 1 Study Evaluating the Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of Single Doses of BIIB059 in Healthy volunteers and Subjects with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
04/09/2015 - 04/08/2020 (Co-Investigator)
PI: Christina Lam, MD
Biogen Idec


Scleroderma Clinical Repository (SCaR)
10/01/2014 - 09/30/2019 (PI)
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.


ASSET: A Phase II study to evaluate subcutaneous abatacept vs. placebo in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis - a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trial [IMI101-344]
03/31/2015 - 06/30/2019 (Subcontract PI)
Regents of the University of Michigan Bristol-Myers Squibb


Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of IL1-Trap, Rilonacept, in Systemic Sclerosis-A Phase I/II Biomarker Trial
12/01/2011 - 02/05/2019 (PI)
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.


Scleroderma Workshop
02/01/2010 - 01/31/2018 (PI)
MedImmune, Inc.


Nox4 Inhibitor in Systemic Sclerosis
11/14/2014 - 11/13/2017 (PI)
Mistral Therapeutics, Inc.


NIAMS: CORT
09/01/2011 - 08/31/2017 (PI of Sub-Project / SP)
PI: Robert W. Simms, MD
NIH/National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases
5P50AR060780-05

Rheumatic Diseases Research Core Centers
09/01/2011 - 08/31/2017 (PI of Sub-Project / SP)
PI: Robert W. Simms, MD
NIH/National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases
5P30AR061271-05

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Topical C-82 in Systemic Sclerosis-A Phase I/II Biomarker and Safety Trial
04/02/2015 - 04/01/2017 (PI)
PRISM Pharma Co Ltd


Showing 10 of 42 results. Show All Results


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2022 Administrative Core 1P50AR080612-01-9844
2022 Clinical-Translational Studies in Skin, Lung, and Vascular Complications in Systemic Sclerosis 1P50AR080612-01
2022 Cell epigenetics & communication in systemic sclerosis and localized scleroderma skin disease 1P50AR080612-01-9847
2022 Mapping Age-Related Changes in the Lung 5U01HL145550-04
2021 Mapping Age-Related Changes in the Lung 7U01HL145550-03
2021 Administrative Core 5P50AR060780-10-6914 80
2021 NIAMS: Center for Research Translation (CORT) 3P50AR060780-09S1 80
2021 Translational studies for identifying and targeting novel pathways in systemic sclerosis pathogenesis 3P50AR060780-10S1 80
2021 Project 1: Systemic Sclerosis Skin Biomarkers & Therapeutics 5P50AR060780-10-6918 80
2021 Translational studies for identifying and targeting novel pathways in systemic sclerosis pathogenesis 5P50AR060780-10 80
Showing 10 of 74 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. Berkowitz JS, Tabib T, Xiao H, Sadej GM, Khanna D, Fuschiotti P, Lafyatis RA, Das J. Cell-type-specific biomarkers of systemic sclerosis disease severity capture cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic circuits. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023 Apr 25. PMID: 37096444
     
  2. Toyama T, Kudryashova TV, Ichihara A, Lenna S, Looney A, Shen Y, Jiang L, Teos L, Avolio T, Lin D, Kaplan U, Marden G, Dambal V, Goncharov D, Delisser H, Lafyatis R, Seta F, Goncharova EA, Trojanowska M. GATA6 coordinates cross-talk between BMP10 and oxidative stress axis in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Sci Rep. 2023 Apr 22; 13(1):6593.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37087509; PMCID: PMC10122657; DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33779-8;
     
  3. Jia M, Rosas L, Kapetanaki MG, Tabib T, Sebrat J, Cruz T, Bondonese A, Mora AL, Lafyatis R, Rojas M, Benos PV. Early events marking lung fibroblast transition to profibrotic state in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Respir Res. 2023 Apr 21; 24(1):116. PMID: 37085855; PMCID: PMC10122312; DOI: 10.1186/s12931-023-02419-0;
     
  4. Chakraborty A, Nathan A, Orcholski M, Agarwal S, Shamskhou EA, Auer N, Mitra A, Guardado ES, Swaminathan G, Condon DF, Yu J, McCarra M, Juul NH, Mallory A, Guzman-Hernandez RA, Yuan K, Rojas V, Crossno JT, Yung LM, Yu PB, Spencer T, Winn RA, Frump A, Karoor V, Lahm T, Hedlin H, Fineman JR, Lafyatis R, Knutsen CNF, Alvira CM, Cornfield DN, de Jesus Perez VA. WNT7A deficit is associated with dysfunctional angiogenesis in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Eur Respir J. 2023 Apr 06. PMID: 37024132
     
  5. Domsic RT, Medsger TA, Gao S, Laffoon M, Huang S, Wisniewski S, Spino C, Steen V, Lafyatis R, Khanna D. A data-driven approach finds RNA polymerase III antibody and tendon friction rubs as enrichment tools for early diffuse scleroderma trials. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2023 Apr 03; 62(4):1543-1551. PMID: 36031807; PMCID: PMC10072884; DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keac501;
     
  6. Chen L, Zhao J, Chao Y, Roy A, Guo W, Qian J, Xu W, Domsic RT, Lafyatis R, Lu B, Deng F, Wang QJ. Loss of Protein Kinase D2 Activity Protects Against Bleomycin-Induced Dermal Fibrosis in Mice. Lab Invest. 2023 Feb; 103(2):100018. PMID: 37039152
     
  7. Sanges S, Rice L, Tu L, Valenzi E, Cracowski JL, Montani D, Mantero JC, Ternynck C, Marot G, Bujor AM, Hachulla E, Launay D, Humbert M, Guignabert C, Lafyatis R. Biomarkers of haemodynamic severity of systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension by serum proteome analysis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2023 Mar; 82(3):365-373.View Related Profiles. PMID: 36600187; PMCID: PMC9918672; DOI: 10.1136/ard-2022-223237;
     
  8. Papazoglou A, Huang M, Bulik M, Lafyatis A, Tabib T, Morse C, Sembrat J, Rojas M, Valenzi E, Lafyatis R. Epigenetic Regulation of Profibrotic Macrophages in Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2022 Dec; 74(12):2003-2014. PMID: 35849803; PMCID: PMC9771864; DOI: 10.1002/art.42286;
     
  9. Fu D, Blobner BM, Greer PJ, Lafyatis R, Bellin MD, Whitcomb DC. Pancreatitis-Associated PRSS1-PRSS2 Haplotype Alters T-Cell Receptor Beta (TRB) Repertoire More Strongly Than PRSS1 Expression. Gastroenterology. 2023 Feb; 164(2):289-292.e4. PMID: 36191639; PMCID: PMC9892203; DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.09.036;
     
  10. Shi B, Tsou PS, Ma F, Mariani MP, Mattichak MN, LeBrasseur NK, Chini EN, Lafyatis R, Khanna D, Whitfield ML, Gudjonsson JE, Varga J. Senescent Cells Accumulate in Systemic Sclerosis Skin. J Invest Dermatol. 2023 Apr; 143(4):661-664.e5. PMID: 36191640; PMCID: PMC10038878; DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.09.652;
     
Showing 10 of 232 results. Show More

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

Bar chart showing 232 publications over 34 distinct years, with a maximum of 17 publications in 2016

YearPublications
19881
19897
19908
19919
19921
19932
19944
19961
19971
19982
19992
20001
20024
20031
20043
20052
20067
20078
20084
20098
201014
20115
201210
201310
20149
20159
201617
20179
201810
201913
202013
202116
202215
20236

Contact for Mentoring:

75 E. Newton St Evans Building
Boston MA 02118
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