Konstantin G. Birukov, M.D., Ph.D.

Primary:

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care

Secondary:

Committee on Cellular and Molecular Physiology
Education:
Degree Year Institution Area
MS
   1984
   Moscow State Medical School
   Biochemistry
MD   1986
   Moscow State Medical School
  Medicine
PhD   1992
   National Cardiology Research Center   Biochemistry

 
Phone: (773) 834-2636
E-Mail: kbirukov@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Address: GCIS W410
929 E. 57th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
Web Address:  http://medicine.uchicago.edu/faculty_profile/faculty_profile.asp?empl_id=9098

Research Summary

Dr. Birukov's laboratory addresses molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of lung vascular permeability and cytoskeleton under physiological and pathological conditions associated with ventilator-induced lung injury or bacterial lypopolysacharide-induced inflammation, including 1) Role of small GTPases Rac, Rho, Rap1 in magnitude-dependent regulation of lung endothelial cytoskeleton and permeability by cyclic stretch; 2) Evaluation of the Rac and Rho effectors within the focal adhesions and adherens junctions involved in regulation of vascular permeability by cyclic stretch and bioactive molecules; 3) Novel barrier-protective and anti-inflammatory effects of oxidized phospholipids on the lung endothelium in acute lung injury.

Selected Publications

Birukova, A.A., Chatchavalvanich, S., Rios, S., Kawkitinarong, K., Garcia, J.G.N. and Birukov, K.G. Differential regulation of pulmonary endothelial monolayer integrity by varying degrees of cyclic stretch. Am. J. Pathol.,168(5):1749-61, 2006.

Birukova, A.A., Malyukova, I., Poroyko, V. and Birukov, K.G. Paxillin-β-catenin interactions are involved in Rac/Cdc42-mediated endothelial barrier-protective response to oxidized phospholipids. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell .Mol. Physiol., 293(1):L199-211, 2007.

Birukova, A.A., Zagranichnaya, T., Fu, P., Alekseeva, E., Chen, W., Jacobson, J.R. and Birukov, K.G. Prostaglandins PGE2 and PGI2 promote endothelial barrier enhancement via PKA- and Epac1/Rap1-dependent Rac activation. Exp. Cell Res., 313(11):2504-20, 2007.

Birukova, A.A., Alekseeva, E., Mikaelyan, A. and Birukov, KG. HGF protects human pulmonary endothelial barrier via Tiam1/Rac-dependent inhibition of Rho pathway. FASEB J., Apr 11; [Epub ahead of print], 2007.

Birukova, A.A., Malyukova, I., Mikaelyan, A., Fu, P. and Birukov, K.G. Tiam1 and βPIX mediate Rac-dependent endothelial barrier protective response to oxidized phospholipids. J. Cell. Physiol., 211(3):608-17, 2007.

Birukova, A.A., Fu, P., Chatchavalvanich, S., Burdette, D., Oskolkova, O., Bochkov, V.N. and Birukov, K.G.  Polar head groups are important for barrier protective effects of oxidized phospholipids on pulmonary endothelium. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol., 292(4):L924-35, 2007.

Updated 8/15/07.