University of California San Francisco

Robert Raffai, PhD

Robert Raffai - 144px
Robert Raffai, PhD

Professor of Surgery
Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Department of Surgery, School of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
Research Scientist 
Northern California Institute for Research and Education, Inc.(NICRE)
San Francisco VA Health Care System

Address

35 Medical Center Way, #902D
San Francisco, CA 94143
United States

Email: [email protected]

Biography

The focus of our laboratory rests with exploring the influence of metabolic stress on accelerated atherosclerosis cardiovascular disease. Specifically, our interest is in how a protein called apolipoprotein E controls hematopoiesis through microRNA regulation to suppress atherosclerosis beyond its ability to lower plasma lipid levels.

A second interest of our laboratory explores how diabetic hyperglycemia contributes to differential microRNA biogenesis in mature immune cells and their progenitors. Specifically, we examine how this impacts on the release of these microRNAs into extracellular vesicles including exosomes to impact systemic and vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis.

Our goal is to develop engineered exosomes with defined microRNA cargo as new nanobiological effectors to control inflammation and atherosclerosis.

Education

Institution Degree Dept or School End Date
University of Ottawa Ph.D Biochemistry 05/1998
McGill University B.S. Biochemistry 05/1990

Grants and Funding

  • Exosomes in the Pathogenesis of Diabetic Atherosclerosis & its Treatment Opportunities | NIH | 2019-07-01 - 2027-09-30 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application | NIH | 2021-04-01 - 2026-03-31 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • P.R.I.S.M: Purification of exRNA by Immuno-capture and Sorting using Microfluidic | NIH | 2019-09-01 - 2023-08-31 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • Exosomes in the Pathogenesis of Diabetic Atherosclerosis & its Treatment Opportunities | VA | 2019-07-01 - 2023-07-01 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • P.R.I.S.M: Purification of exRNA by Immuno-capture and Sorting using Microfluidic | NIH | 2019-09-01 - 2021-08-31 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • Hyperglycemia and MicroRNA Dysregulation of Inflammation in Atherosclerosis | NIH | 2016-06-01 - 2021-03-31 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • Immune Modulation and Cardiac Remodeling | VA | 2016-10-01 - 2020-09-30 | Role: Co-Investigator
  • In Vivo Regulated Release and Function of Extracellular Small RNAs | NIH/NCI | 2013-09-01 - 2018-08-31 | Role: Co-Investigator
  • Hyperglycemia Dysregulation of MicroRNA in Myeloid Cells: Impact on Atherosclerosis Regression | American Heart Association | 2016-01-01 - 2017-12-31 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • Does Diabetic Hyperglycemia Regulate Atherosclerosis Progression and Regression? | NIH | 2009-10-01 - 2014-06-30 | Role: Principal Investigator
  • Role of apolipoprotein E4 in the progression and regression of atherosclerosis | NIH | 2007-09-26 - 2014-06-30 | Role: Principal Investigator

Publications

MOST RECENT PUBLICATIONS FROM A TOTAL OF 10
  1. M2 macrophage exosomes reverse heart failure post-myocardial infarction by suppressing type 1 interferon signaling in myeloid cells.
    Ng M, Gao AS, Phu TA, Vu NK, Raffai RL| | PubMed
  2. Extracellular Vesicles at the Helm: Steering the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Atherosclerosis.
    Raffai RL| | PubMed
  3. nSMase2-mediated exosome secretion shapes the tumor microenvironment to immunologically support pancreatic cancer.
    Hendley AM, Ashe S, Urano A, Ng M, Phu TA, Peng XL, Luan C, Finger AM, Jang GH, Kerper NR, Berrios DI, Jin D, Lee J, Riahi IR, Gbenedio OM, Chung C, Roose JP, Yeh JJ, Gallinger S, Biankin AV, O'Kane GM, Ntranos V, Chang DK, Dawson DW, Kim GE, Weaver VM, Raffai RL, Hebrok M| | PubMed
  4. M2 Macrophage Exosomes Reverse Cardiac Functional Decline in Mice with Diet-Induced Myocardial Infarction by Suppressing Type 1 Interferon Signaling in Myeloid Cells.
    Ng M, Gao AS, Phu TA, Vu NK, Raffai RL| | PubMed
  5. Abstract A066: nSMase2-mediated exosome secretion shapes the tumor microenvironment to immunologically support pancreatic cancer.
    Audrey M Hendley, Sudipta Ashe, Atsushi Urano, Martin Ng, Tuan A Phu, Xianlu Laura Peng, Changfei Luan, Anna-Marie Finger, Gun Ho Jang, Natanya R Kerper, David I Berrios, David Jin, Jonghyun Lee, Irene R Riahi, Oghenekevwe M Gbenedio, Christina Chung, Jeroen P Roose, Jen Jen Yeh, Steven Gallinger, Andrew V Biankin, Grainne M O’Kane, Vasilis Ntranos, David K Chang, David W Dawson, Grace E Kim, Valerie M Weaver, Robert L Raffai, Matthias Hebrok| | UCSF Research Profile
  6. Comparison of EV characterization by commercial high-sensitivity flow cytometers and a custom single-molecule flow cytometer.
    Kim J, Xu S, Jung SR, Nguyen A, Cheng Y, Zhao M, Fujimoto BS, Nelson W, Schiro P, Franklin JL, Higginbotham JN, Coffey RJ, Shi M, Vojtech LN, Hladik F, Tewari M, Tigges J, Ghiran I, Jovanovic-Talisman T, Laurent LC, Das S, Gololobova O, Witwer KW, Xu T, Charest A, Jensen KVK, Raffai RL, Jones JC, Welsh JA, Nolan JP, Chiu DT| | PubMed
  7. Label-free single-vesicle based surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy: A robust approach for investigating the biomolecular composition of small extracellular vesicles.
    Liu Z, Ng M, Srivastava S, Li T, Liu J, Phu TA, Mateescu B, Wang YT, Tsai CF, Liu T, Raffai RL, Xie YH| | PubMed
  8. Abstract 3047: Extracellular Vesicles Produced By IL4-polarized Human Macrophages Suppress Atherosclerosis By Reprograming Ly6c hi Monocytes.
    Robert L Raffai, Ngan K Vu, Tuan Anh Phu, Martin Ng, Alex Gao| | UCSF Research Profile
  9. The EV antibody database: An interactive database of curated antibodies for extracellular vesicle and nanoparticle research.
    Morey A, Ng M, Spanos M, Zhang P, Xu T, Cheung W, Chatterjee E, Gokulnath P, Carnel-Amar N, Soares Chiaretti AL, Nelson C, George J, Luo M, Chakraborty A, Perucci L, Jones JC, Hoff P, Franklin JL, Raffai RL, Das S, Routenberg DA, Nolan JP, Charest A, Laurent LC, Alexander RP| | PubMed
  10. Abstract A046: nSMase2-generated ceramide promotes PDA aggression through exosome reprogramming of the stroma.
    Audrey M. Hendley, Atsushi Urano, Xianlu L. Peng, Sudipta Ashe, Tuan A. Phu, Martin Ng, Natanya R. Kerper, David I. Berrios, Jonghyun Lee, David Jin, Gun H. Jang, Oghenekevwe M. Gbenedio, Jeroen P. Roose, Jen J. Yeh, Steven Gallinger, Andrew V. Biankin, Vasilis Ntranos, David K. Chang, David W. Dawson, Grace E. Kim, Valerie M. Weaver, Robert L. Raffai, Matthias Hebrok| | UCSF Research Profile