• Title Barbara E. Corkey Professor of Medicine; Professor of Biochemistry, Biology, Health Sciences; Director, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research and BU Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Office
  • Education DSc, Technion
    Post Doc, MIT
  • Web Address http://www.bumc.bu.edu/ravidlab/
  • Phone 617-358-8242
  • Area of Interest Blood Stem Cells and Blood Cancer; Thrombosis and Purine Signaling; Vascular Biology

Current Research

Circulating platelets play key roles in thrombosis and hemostasis, which are central to vascular disease, and recently, activated platelets have been also identified as magnifying certain cancers through release of mitogenic factors. Hence, understanding processes controlling the development and activation of these cells is fundamental to cell biology, as well as has potential translational implications.

In the platelet lineage, the early committed cells, the megakaryocytes, undergo a unique cell cycle, leading to polyploidy prior to fragmentation into platelets. Our research has focused on identifying mechanisms that regulate the specification of bone marrow stem cells to this lineage, and the subsequent steps of cellular maturation, polyploidy and platelet biogenesis. These processes have been studied in the context of normal development, as well as during megakaryocyte-induced myeloproliferative disease, a condition that often leads to leukemia.

A related project involves the molecular characterization of platelet- and vascular-specific adenosine and purine receptors, and exploration of their role in signaling towards cell activation. Also relevant to mechanism of platelet activation, we have recently investigated the influence of specific metabolic nutrients, such as tryptophan metabolites, on platelet activation, with intriguingly new pathway identified. The systems used in our studies include primary bone marrow cultures, as well as transgenic and knock out mouse models.

Selected Publications

  • Martens KL, Li A, La J, May SB, Swinnerton KN, Tosi H, Elbers DC, Do NV, Brophy MT, Gaziano JM, Lotfollahzadeh S, Chitalia V, Ravid K, Fillmore NR. (2023) Epidemiology of Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Solid and Hematologic Neoplasms in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System. JAMA Netw Open. Jun 1;6(6):e2317945.
  • Karagianni A, Matsuura S, Gerstenfeld LC, Ravid K. (2022) Inhibition of Osteoblast Differentiation by JAK2V617F Megakaryocytes Derived From Male Mice With Primary Myelofibrosis. Front Oncol. ul 8;12:929498.
  • Gaye MM, Ward CM, Piasecki AJ, Stahl VL, Karagianni A, Costello CE, Ravid K. (2022) Characterization of Glycoproteoforms of Integrins α2 and β1 in Megakaryocytes in the Occurrence of JAK2V617F Mutation-Induced Primary Myelofibrosis. Mol Cell Proteomics. 2022 Apr;21(4):100213.
  • Matsuura S, Thompson CR, Ng SK, Ward CM, Karagianni A, Mazzeo C, Malara A, Balduini A, Ravid K (2020) Adhesion to fibronectin via α5β1 integrin supports expansion of the megakaryocyte lineage in primary myelofibrosis. Blood 135 (25): 2286-2291. PMID: 32294178.
  • Leiva O, Ng SK, Matsuura S, Chitalia V, Lucero H, Findlay A, Turner C, Jarolimek W, Ravid K (2019) Novel lysyl oxidase inhibitors attenuate hallmarks of primary myelofibrosis in mice. Int J Hematol. 110 (6): 699-708. PMID: 31637674.
  • JAK2 V617F -Mediated Clonal Hematopoiesis Accelerates Pathological Remodeling in Murine Heart Failure.
    Sano S, Wang Y, Yura Y, Sano M, Oshima K, Yang Y, Katanasaka Y, Min KD, Matsuura S, Ravid K, Mohi G, Walsh K (2019) JAK2 V617F -Mediated Clonal Hematopoiesis Accelerates Pathological Remodeling in Murine Heart Failure. JACC Basic Transl Sci. 4 (6): 684-697. PMID: 31709318.
  • Shashar M, Belghasem ME, Matsuura S, Walker J, Richards S, Alousi F, Rijal K, Kolachalama VB, Balcells M, Odagi M, Nagasawa K, Henderson JM, Gautam A, Rushmore R, Francis J, Kirchhofer D, Kolandaivelu K, Sherr DH, Edelman ER, Ravid K, Chitalia VC (2017) Targeting STUB1-tissue factor axis normalizes hyperthrombotic uremic phenotype without increasing bleeding risk. Sci Transl Med. 9(417). PMID: 29167396.
  • Abbonante V, Chitalia V, Rosti V, Leiva O, Matsuura S, Balduini A, Ravid K (2017) Upregulation of lysyl oxidase and adhesion to collagen of human megakaryocytes and platelets in primary myelofibrosis. Blood 130(6): 829-831.
  • Matsuura S, Mi R, Koupenova M, Eliades A, Patterson S, Toselli P, Thon J, Italiano JE Jr, Trackman PC, Papadantonakis N, Ravid K (2017) Lysyl oxidase is associated with increased thrombosis and platelet reactivity.
    Blood 127(11): 1493-1501. PMID: 26755713.

Courses Taught:

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