The Laboratory of Translational Genomics focuses on the genetics of coronary artery disease (CAD) and coronary calcification. Through unbiased Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS), the team has identified common genetic variants at over 40 loci that augment the risk of CAD (Science, 2007, 316: 1488-1491; Nature Genetics, 2011, 43: 333-338; Lancet, 2011, 377: 383-392; Cell Reports, 2014, 7: 834-847). Importantly, these studies reveal novel disease mechanisms that fundamentally alter our view of CAD, beyond cholesterol and blood pressure. Collaborative studies with the laboratory of Dr. William Stanford at OHRI are using Prime Editing to generate matched pairs of pluripotent stem cells bearing the IRF2BP2 genetic polymorphism.
Collaborative studies with the laboratory of Dr. Hsiao-Huei Chen at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute explore cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders and their links to the cardiovascular system: the Brain – Heart Axis.
Thinking outside the box: the lab is pursing studies on the Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus and its possible contribution to human breast cancer.
On this page
Publications
See current publications list at PubMed.
See Research Gate profile.
See Google Scholar profile.
Selected publications:
- Stewart AFR, Chen HH. Revisiting the MMTV Zoonotic Hypothesis to Account for Geographic Variation in Breast Cancer Incidence. Viruses. 2022 Mar 9;14(3):559. doi: 10.3390/v14030559.
- Vilmundarson RO, Heydarikhorneh N, Duong A, Ho T, Keyhanian K, Soheili F, Chen HH, Stewart AFR. Savior Siblings Might Rescue Fetal Lethality But Not Adult Lymphoma in Irf2bp2-Null Mice. Front Immunol. 2022 Jul 4;13:868053. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.868053.
- Vilmundarson RO, Duong A, Soheili F, Chen HH, Stewart AFR. IRF2BP2 3'UTR Polymorphism Increases Coronary Artery Calcification in Men. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2021 Oct 25;8:687645. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.687645.
- Qin Z, Zhang L, Cruz SA, Stewart AFR*, Chen HH. Activation of tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B in pyramidal neurons impairs endocannabinoid signaling by tyrosine receptor kinase trkB and causes schizophrenia-like behaviors in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2020 Oct;45(11):1884-1895. doi: 10.1038/s41386-020-0755-3.
- Zhang L, Qin Z, Ricke KM, Cruz SA, Stewart AFR, Chen HH Hyperactivated PTP1B phosphatase in parvalbumin neurons alters anterior cingulate inhibitory circuits and induces autism-like behaviors. Nature Communications, 2020 Feb 24;11(1):1017. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-14813-z.
- Ricke KM, Cruz SA, Qin Z, Farrokhi K, Sharmin F, Zhang L, Zasloff MA, Stewart AFR, Chen HH. (2020) Neuronal Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B hastens Amyloid β-associated Alzheimer's disease in mice. Journal of Neuroscience, 40 (7):1581-1593.
- Almontashiri NAM, Antoine D, Zhou X, Vilmundarson RO, Zhang SX, Hao KN, Chen HH, Stewart AFR. 9p21.3 coronary artery disease risk variants disrupt tead transcription factor-dependent tgfβ regulation of p16 expression in human aortic smooth muscle cells. Circulation, 2015; 132(21):1969-78.
- Chen HH, Keyhanian K, Zhou X, Vilmundarson RO, Almontashiri NAM, Cruz SA, Pandey NR, Yap NL, Ho T, Stewart CA, Huang H, Hari A, Geoffrion M, McPherson R, Rayner KJ, Stewart AFR. IRF2BP2 reduces macrophage inflammation and susceptibility to atherosclerosis. Circulation Research, 2015; 117(8):671-83.
Staff
Current Team Members
- An Duong, MSc Candidate
- Brett Carter, PhD Student
- Anthe Maerten, MS Student
Projects
The Laboratory of Translational Genomics is currently working on three loci, 9p21, SPG7 and IRF2BP2, to elucidate their biological impact on CAD risk and to transform GWAS discoveries to therapeutic applications.
Genetic Loci for Cardiovascular Disease
The 9p21 locus (with 52 linked variants) is the first genetic risk factor for CAD identified by 3 independent GWAS, including ours (Science, 2007, 316: 1488-1491). We found that it disrupts regulatory sequences and affects expression of genes controlling cell proliferation (ATVB, 2009, 29(10): 1671-1677; JACC, 2013, 61(2): 143-147). The laboratory is addressing mechanisms affected by 9p21 variants, including disrupted regulation by TEAD transcription factors and how this disruption impacts vascular cell proliferation and atherosclerosis progression.
Dr. Stewart is a founding member of the international CARDIoGRAM consortium comprising GWAS of > 20 centres in 8 countries for the discovery of genetic risk of CAD. CARDIoGRAM has published the landmark papers on the genetics of CAD.
Inflammation
The laboratory’s recent work shows that a novel regulator of innate immunity, IRF2BP2, suppresses macrophage inflammation, promotes macrophage cholesterol handling and limits foam cell formation. The team discovered a deletion variant that disrupts an RNA-binding protein target in the human IRF2BP2 3’UTR, lowers protein levels and increases risk of CAD and coronary artery calcification. Dr. Stewart and his collaborators have made transgenic mice that delete IRF2BP2 in macrophages and found increased propensity to develop atherosclerosis. They are using this unique mouse model to reveal key cellular pathways and potential therapeutic targets regulated by IRF2BP2 that affect cardiac repolarization in sepsis.
Available Positions
Opportunities
To enquire about available positions, please submit your CV with a cover letter detailing what you can bring to the team.
Collaborations
The laboratory has ongoing collaborations with faculty at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (H-H Chen).
Contact
@email
613-696-7353