Puré Laboratory

Dr. Puré’s research focuses on the cellular and molecular basis of inflammation and fibrosis and her laboratory has made seminal contributions to our understanding of the roles of stromal cells and extracellular matrix remodeling in tissue fibrosis and in cancer risk, initiation, progression, and metastasis.

Join us in our quest to transform the landscape of chronic disease understanding and treatment. Contact Ellen Puré, PhD if you are interested in being a part of the lab.

Contact Information

Ellen Puré, PhD
Grace Lansing Lambert Professor of Biomedical Sciences
Professor of System Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics
Member, Abramson Cancer Center
Member, Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Member, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics
Director, Penn Vet Cancer Center
epure@upenn.edu

Leslie Hopper, B.S. 
Associate Director, Research
ltodd2@vet.upenn.edu

Allison Ardon
Coordinator
aardon@upenn.edu

Lab Address
H430 Hill Pavilion
380 S. University Ave
Philadelphia PA 19104-4539

Office
410E Hill Pavilion
380 S. University Ave
Philadelphia PA 19104-4539

Research
Recent News
People
Publications

The Puré laboratory is studying the cellular and molecular basis of inflammation and fibrosis that underpin a majority of chronic diseases. We use state-of-the-art multi-omic, genetic, pharmacologic, biochemical, biophysical and advanced imaging approaches to study the cross-talk between multi-component systems and the mechanisms by which such complex communications networks contribute to pathologic tissue fibrosis and cancer. Our studies encompass the contributions of both tissue/tumor microenvironmental niches as well as systemic interactions that define the host ecology.

An important perspective of our studies is on the essential roles of stromal cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) and their cross-talk with other tissue/tumor components including malignant epithelial cells, endothelial cells, vasculature, and inflammatory and immune cells. The Puré lab has made seminal contributions to this field. We have contributed to defining the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of activated fibroblasts in the context of fibrosis and amongst cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in solid tumors, as well as the drivers and consequences of distinct activated fibroblast subpopulations. We have established that CAFs regulate tumor growth through both immune-dependent and immune-independent mechanisms. Specifically, we have defined a pro-tumorigenic subpopulation of CAFs defined by their expression of Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP) and demonstrated that FAP+-CAFs promote tumor growth directly, through dynamic matrix remodeling and by inhibiting endogenous anti-tumor immunity. We have also demonstrated that FAP+-CAFs can render various types of solid tumors resistant to immune checkpoint inhibition and adaptive CAR T cells therapies at three levels: 1) by restricting T cell extravasation and tumor infiltration through their roles in disrupting vascular integrity and in perivascular fibrosis in “immune desert/cold” tumors; 2) by mediating “immune-exclusion” to prevent access of infiltrated T cells into tumor nests; and 3) mediating immune-suppression. Based on these results, together with a multi-disciplinary team of investigators (including Drs. Steve Albelda, Carl June, John Epstein, Drew Weissman and many others) at the University of Pennsylvania, we developed FAP-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for the treatment of solid tumors and fibrotic diseases. Having established proof-of-principle in pre-clinical models of solid tumors (eg. pancreatic, mesothelioma and lung), and cardiac fibrosis, we are currently conducting IND enabling studies to proceed to clinical trials employing in-vitro generated virally transduced FAP-CAR T cells and/or mRNA loaded targeted-LNPs for in situ generation of FAP-CAR T cells, in combination with vaccines, tumor associated antigen-directed immunotherapies, chemotherapies and targeted therapies. In collaboration with Dr. Mark Sellmeyer at UPenn, we are establishing FAP-specific PET imaging to screen patients for FAPhi tumors as an enrollment criterion, and to non-invasively assess treatment efficacy in planned clinical trials, for which we have published proof-of-concept in pre-clinical models.

Pancreatic cells

In addition, the Puré lab continues to define novel molecular pathways involved in stroma-dependent tumor growth and fibrosis with the goal of refining therapeutic targeting of stroma in fibrosis and solid tumors, to a molecular rather than cellular level as an alternative approach. The overarching goal of ongoing and studies planned for the foreseeable future is, to define molecular pathways underlying stroma-dependent regulation of anti-tumor immunity, that determine the efficacy of immunotherapies and immune-independent mechanisms by which stroma regulates tumor growth, with a strong focus on normalizing fibrotic tissue/tumor microenvironments. Collectively, studies in the Puré lab over the next five years will help build a comprehensive understanding of the role of stroma in fibrosis and desmoplastic solid tumors. Any novel mechanisms defined will be evaluated as potential therapeutic vulnerabilities. Candidate targets will inform the future development of novel therapeutics designed 1) to maintain fibroblasts in a relatively quiescent state; 2) to inhibit programming of progenitors to pathogenic activated fibroblasts including, targeting ECM remodeling that modulates stiffness that in turn regulates recruitment and/or behavior of virtually all cell types; 3) to inhibit the pathogenic effector mechanisms of activated fibroblasts at a molecular level.

September 2023

Removing the barrier surrounding solid tumors clears path for T cells

Penn researchers uncover a new way to target solid tumors. Using CAR T cells to remove cancer-associated fibroblasts surrounding pancreatic tumors allows T cells to infiltrate and attack the tumor cells.

Xiao, Z., L. Todd, L. Huang, L, E. Noguera-Ortega, Zhen, L. Huang, M. Kopp, Y. Li, N. Pattada, W. Zhong, W. Guo, J. Scholler, M. Liousia, C.-A. Assenmacher, C.H. June, S.M. Albelda and E. Puré. 2023. Desmoplastic stroma restricts T cell extravasation, immune exclusion and immunosuppression in solid tumors. Nature Comm. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40850-5.

August 2023

Andy Hoffman and Ellen Puré For ten years, Dr. Ellen Puré led Penn Vet's Department of Biomedical Sciences with distinction, compassion, and integrity. Recently, we celebrated her years of service as she stepped down as Chair to the department. In that role, Dr. Puré recruited outstanding faculty members and fiercely advocated for their professional development – doubling the number of endowed faculty positions – in addition to launching the Penn Vet Cancer Center. At the same time, she upheld an outstanding and prestigious professional career while mentoring generations of laboratory members and veterinary students. Dr. Puré will continue to serve as a professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Director of the Penn Vet Cancer Center.

Ellen Pure Ellen Puré, PhD
Grace Lansing Lambert Professor, past Chair of Biomedical Sciences, and Professor of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Puré received her Baccalaureate degree from Washington University in St. Louis and her doctorate at the University of Texas-Southwestern Medical School. She trained as a Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Postdoctoral Fellow and Leukemia Society Special Fellow and then joined the Faculty at the Rockefeller University. In 1992, Dr. Puré moved to Philadelphia where she was on the Faculty of the Wistar Institute until moving to the University of Pennsylvania in 2013. Dr. Puré is an Associate Director of the Cancer Research Institute and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Clinical Investigation and Matrix Biology and is a Founding Senior Editor of Cancer Immunology Research. Dr. Puré’s research focuses on the cellular and molecular basis of inflammation and fibrosis. She studies basic mechanisms involved in these processes and the contribution of these processes to fibrotic diseases and cancer. Her laboratory has made seminal contributions to our understanding of the roles of stromal cells and extracellular matrix remodeling in tissue fibrosis and in cancer risk, initiation, progression, and metastasis. Her lab is developing novel therapeutic approaches to target stroma to treat fibrosis and cancer. In 2019, Dr. Puré was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Puré co-founded Capstan Therapeutics in 2021.

Leslie Hopper, B.S.,
Associate Director, Research for the Puré Lab

Leslie has spent her life in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. She attended Penn State University where she earned a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. After a short stint in the pharmaceutical industry as a technician in flu vaccine production, she came to The Wistar Institute to work for Dr. Ellen Puré in 2003 and has been in her lab there and at the University of Pennsylvania ever since.

Li Huang

Li Huang

Li has more than 20 years of experience working in molecular and cellular biology laboratories at Penn and Drexel University. Currently, she is working on tumor microenvironment with the Pure lab. She is utilizing high resolution ultrasound to monitor tumor onset and growth in genetically engineered pancreatic cancer mouse models.

Zebin Xiao, MD, Ph.D Zebin Xiao, MD, PhD

Zebin began his academic career as an undergraduate majoring in clinical medicine-radiology at Fujian Medical University (FJMU). He received a Master of Medicine at FJMU, where he studied advanced imaging and biomedical research with Prof. Dairong Cao. He received his MD and PhD degree at Fudan University, where he worked with Dr. Zuohua Tang and developed functional CT or MRI imaging to improve the diagnostic accuracy and monitor treatment related responses for patients with solid tumors. He became interested in using high-resolution imaging modalities to decode more cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in the tumor microenvironment and joined Puré laboratory at University of Pennsylvania. He was named a CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellow by the Cancer Research Institute and is an Abramson Cancer Center Mentored Member at UPenn. His projects mainly focus on the crosstalk of cancer-associated fibroblasts, endothelial cells/pericytes, immune cells, and matrix in solid tumors.

Khuloud Bajbouj, Ph.D Khuloud Bajbouj, PhD

Khuloud received a PhD degree in Cell and Molecular Biology – Cancer Biology from Otto-von-Guericke University in Germany. Her field of experience and research interests are in the areas of cancer research, fibrosis, and immunology. She has published more than 50 research papers in prominent international journals. She is involved in many collaborative projects focusing on understanding the immunological aspects behind Cancer, Airway Remodeling and Fibrosis.

Valerie Irizarry-Negron

Valerie is from Utuado, PR and did her undergraduate studies in Biology at University of Puerto Rico- Mayaguez campus. She is a PhD student in the Cell and Molecular Biology - Cancer Biology program, co-mentored by Dr. T.S. Karin Eisinger and Dr. Ellen Puré. Her thesis project is to understand the roles of collagens in immune evasion in the context of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma.

Rhea Bakshi

Rhea is an undergraduate student in the College of Arts & Sciences (class of 2024) majoring in biology. In addition to biology, she has a strong interest in pursuing veterinary school and obtaining a Master’s in Translational Research.

Henry Utset
Henry is from Chicago, IL and did his undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a combined degree MD/PhD student in the Immunology Graduate Group. He is interested in immune-fibroblast-matrix interactions in disease and health.

Allison Ardon
Administrative Coordinator, Puré Lab and the Penn Vet Cancer Center.

She holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, both from the University of Utah.

Clifton, G.T., M.L. Rothenberg, P. Ascierto, G. Begley, M. Cecchini, P. Eder, F. Ghiringelli, A. Italiano, M. Kochetkova, R. Li, F. Mechta-Grigoriou, S. Pai, P. Provenzano, E. Puré, A. Ribas, K.A. Schalper, W.H. Fridman. 2023. Defining Immune Exclusion: Results of a modified Delphi Workshop. J. Immunother. Cancer. 11:e006773 doi10.1136/jitc-2023-006773. PMID 37290925 PMCID:PMC 10254706.

Zhong, W., Z. Xiao, Z. Qin, J. Yang, Y. Wen, Z. Yu, Y. Li, N.C. Sheppard, S. Fuchs, X. Xu, M. Herlyn, C.H. June, E. Puré and W. Guo. 2023. Tumor-derived small extracellular vesicles inhibit the efficacy of CAR T cells against solid tumors. Cancer Res. 83:2790-2806. PMID:37115855.

Espinet, E., L. Klein, E. Puré and S.K. Singh. 2022. Mechanisms of PDAC subtype heterogeneity and therapy response. In Press. Trends in Cancer. 8:1060-1071. PMID: 36117109.

Lee, I., E. Noguera-Ortega, Z. Xiao, L. Todd, J. Scholler, D. Song, M. Liouisa, K. Lohith. K.Xu, K. Edwards, M. Farwell, C.H. June, S. Albelda, E. Puré and M. Sellmyer. 2022. Monitoring therapeutic response to anti-fibroblast activation protein (FAP) CAR T cells using [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET. Clinical Cancer Research. 28:5330-5342. PMID: 35972732; PMCID: PMC9771904 (available 2023-06-15).

Verginadis, I.I., H. Avgousti, J. Monslow, G. Skoufos, F. Chinga, N.M. Leli, I.V. Karagounis, B.I. Bell, A. Velalopoulou, C.S. Salinas, V.S. Wu, Y. Li, J. Ye; D.A. Scott, A.L. Osterman, A. Sengupta, A. Weljie, M. Huang, D. Zhang, E. Radaelli, J.W. Tobias, F. Rambow, P. Karras, J.-C. Marine; X. Xu, A.G. Hatzigeorgiou, S. Ryeom, A.J. Diehl, S.Y. Fuchs, E. Puré and C. Koumenis. 2022. A stromal integrated stress response activates perivascular cancer-associated fibroblasts to drive support angiogenesis and tumor progression. Nature Cell Biol. 24:940-953. PMID:35654839.

Roby, K.C., Jr, A. Lieberman, B.J. Kim, N. Zaragoza Rodríguez, J.M. Posimo, T. Tsang, J. Verginadis3, E. Puré, D.C. Brady, C. Koumenis, S. Ryeom. 2022. Loss of p19Arf Promotes Fibroblast Survival During Leucine Deprivation Enhancing Tumor Progression. Biology Open. 11: bio058728.

Rurik, J.G., I. Tombácz, A. Yadegari, P.O. Mendez Fernandez, S.V. Shewale, L. Li, T. Kimura, O.Y. Soliman, T.E. Papp, Y.K. Tam, B.L. Mui, S.M. Albelda, E. Puré, C.H. June, H. Aghajanian, D. Weissman, H. Parhiz and J. A. Epstein. 2022. CAR T cells produced in vivo to treat cardiac injury. Science.375:91-96.

Gui, J., F. Zahedi, A. Ortiz,, C. Cho, K. Katlinski, K. Alicea-Torres, J. Li, L. Todd, D.P. Beiting, C. Sander, J.M. Kirkwood, B.E. Snow, A.C. Wakeham, T.W. Mak, J.A. Diehl, C. Koumenis, S.W. Ryeom, B.Z. Stanger, E. Puré, D.I. Gabrilovich and S.Y. Fuchs. 2020. Activation of the p38α stress-activated protein kinase drives the formation of the pre-metastatic niche in the lungs. Nature Cancer 1:603-619.

Monslow, J., L. Todd, J.E. Chojnowski, P.K. Govindaraju, R.K. Assoian and E. Puré. 2020. Fibroblast activation protein regulates lesion burden and the fibroinflammatory response in apoE-deficient mice in a sexually dimorphic manner. Amer. J. Pathology. 190:1118-1136. PMID: 32084369; PMCID: PMC7237832.

Vickman, R.E., D.V. Faget, P. Beachy, D. Bebee, N.A. Bhowmick, E. Cukierman, W.-M. Deng, J.G. Granneman, J. Hildesheim, R. Kalluri, K.S. Lau, E. Lengyel, J. Lundeberg, J. Moscat, P.S. Nelson, K. Pietras, K. Politi, E. Puré, R. Scherz-Shouval, M.H. Sherman, D. Tuveson, A.T. Weeraratna, R.M. White, M.H. Wong, E.C. Woodhouse, Y.Zheng, S.W. Hayward, S.A. Stewart. 2020. Deconstructing tumor heterogeneity: The stromal perspective. Oncotarget 11(40):3621-3632. PMID: 33088423. PMCID: PMC7546755.

Cho,C., R. Mukherjee, A.R. Peck, Y. Sun, N. McBrearty, K.V. Katlinski, J. Gui, P.K. Govindaraju, E. Puré, H. Rui and S.Y. Fuchs. 2020. Cancer-associated fibroblasts downregulate type I interferon receptor to stimulate intratumoral stromagenesis. Oncogene. 39(38):6129-6137. PMID:32807917. PMCID: PMC7502515.

Sahai, E., I. Astaturov, E. Cukierman, D. DeNardo, M. Egeblad, R.M. Evans, D. Fearon, F.R. Greten, S.R. Hingorani, T. Hunter, R.O. Hynes, R.K. Jain, T. Janowitz, C. Jorgensen, A. Kimmelman, M. Kolonin, R. Maki, S. Powers, E. Puré, D. Ramirez, R. Scherz-Shouval, M.H. Sherman, S. Stewart, T. Tlsty, D. Tuveson, F.M. Watt, V. Weaver, A. Weeraratna and Z. Werb. 2020. A framework for advancing our understanding of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Nat Rev Cancer. 20(3):174-186. PMID: 31980749 PMCID: PMC7046529.

Aghajanian, H., T. Kimura, J.G. Rurik, A.S. Hancock, M.S. Leibowitz, L. Li, J. Scholler, J. Monslow, A. Lo, W. Han, T. Wang, K. Bedi, M.P. Morley, R.A. Linares Saldana, N.A. Bolar, K. McDaid, C-A. Assenmacher, C.L. Smith, D. Wirth, C.H. June, K.B. Margulies, R. Jain, E. Puré, S.M. Albelda, J.A. Epstein. 2019. Targeting Cardiac Fibrosis with Engineered T cells. Nature. 573:430-433. PMID: 31511695.

Author Correction: Nature. 2019. PMID: 31723271.

Blomberg, R., D.P. Beiting, M. Wabitsch and E. Puré. 2019 Fibroblast activation protein restrains adipogenic differentiation and regulates matrix-mediated mTOR signaling. Matrix Biol. 83:60-76. PMID: 31325484. PMCID: PMC6881546.

Lieberman, A., R. Barrett, J. Kim, K. Zhan, D. Avery, J. Monslow, H. Kim, B.-J. Kim, E. Puré and S, Ryeom. 2019. Deletion of calcineurin promotes a pro-tumorigenic fibroblast phenotype. Cancer Research. 79:3928-3939. PMID: 31189649.

Liu, S.-L., Bajpai, A., Hawthorne,E.A., Bae, Y., Castagnino, P., Monslow, J, Puré, E., Spiller, K.L. and R.K. Assoian. 2019. Cardiovascular protection in females linked to estrogen-dependent inhibition of arterial stiffening and macrophage MMP12. JCI Insight. 4:122742. PMCID: PMC6485356. PMID: 30626744.

Cremasco, V., J. Astarita, A.L. Grauel, S. Keerthivasan, K. MacIsaa, M.C. Woodruf, M. Wu, L. Spel, S. Santoro, Z. Amoozgar, K.W. Wucherpfennig, E. Puré, G. Dranoff, M.C. Carroll, S.J. Turley. 2018. FAP delineates heterogeneous and functionally divergent stromal cells in immune-excluded breast tumors. Cancer Immunol. Res. 6:1472-1485. PMID: 30266714. PMCID: PMC6597261.

Puré, E. and R. Blomberg. 2018. Pro-tumorigenic roles of fibroblast activation protein in cancer: back to the basics. PMID: 29720723. PMCID: PMC6092565.

Govindaraju, P., L. Todd, S. Shetye, J. Monslow, and E. Puré. 2018. CD44-dependent inflammation, fibrogenesis, and collagenolysis regulates extracellular matrix remodeling and tensile strength during cutaneous wound healing. Matrix Biol. 75-76:314-330. PMID: 29894820 PMCID: PMC6286871.

Avery, D., P. Govindaraju, M. Jacob, L. Todd, J. Monslow and E. Puré. 2018. Extracellular matrix directs phenotypic heterogeneity of activated fibroblasts. Matrix Biol. 67:90-106. PMID: 29248556 PMCID: PMC5910258.

Razinia, Z., P. Castaginino, T. Xu, A. Vasquez-Salgado, E. Puré and R.K. Assoian. 2017. Stiffness-dependent motility and proliferation uncoupled by deletion of CD44. Sci Rep. 7:16499. PMID: 29184125. PMCID: PMC5705666.

Kumar, V., L. Donthireddy, D. Marvel, T. Condamine, F. Wang, S. Lavilla-Alonso, A. Hashimoto, P. Vonteddu, R. Behara, M.A. Goins, C. Mulligan B. Nam, N. Hockstein, F. Denstman, S. Shakamuri, D.W. Speicher, A.T. Weeraratna, R.H. Vonderheide, L.R. Languino, P. Ordentlich, Q. Liu, X. Xu, A. Lo, E. Puré, C. Zhang, A. Loboda, M.A. Sepulveda, L.A. Snyder, D. Gabrilovich. 2017. Cancer-associated fibroblasts neutralize the anti-tumor effect of CSF-1 receptor blockade by inducing PMN-MDSC infiltration of tumors. Cancer Cell. 32:654-668. PMID: 28978805. PMCID: PMC5827952.

Lo, A., Li, C.-P., Buza, E.L., Blomberg, R., Govindaraju, P., Avery, D., Monslow, J., Hsiao, M., and E. Puré. 2017. Fibroblast activation protein augments progression and metastasis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. J. Clin. Invest. Insight. 2:92232 PMID: 28978805. PMCID: PMC5841864.

Katlinski, K.V, J. Gui, Y.V. Katlinskaya, A. Ortiz, R. Chakraborty, S. Bhattacharya, C.J. Carbone, D.P. Beiting, M.A. Girondo, A.R. Peck, E. Puré, P. Chatterji, A.K. Rustgi, J.A. Diehl, C. Koumenis, H. Rui and S.Y. Fuchs. 2017. Inactivation of interferon receptor promotes the establishment of immune-privileged tumor microenvironment. Cancer Cell. 31:194-207. PMID: 28196594 PMCID: PMC5313042.

Puré, E. and A. Lo. 2016. Masters In Immunology: Can targeting stroma pave the way to enhanced antitumor immunity and immunotherapy of solid tumors? Cancer Immunol Res, 4; 269–78 Invited contribution.

Liu, S.L., Y.H. Bae, C. Yu, J. Monslow, E.A. Hawthorne, P. Castagnino, E. Branchetti, G. Ferrari, S.M. Damrauer, E. Puré and R.K. Asssoian. 2015. Matrix metalloproteinase-12 is an essential mediator of acute and chronic arterial stiffening. Sci Rep. 5:17189. doi: 10.1038/srep17189. PMID: 26608672.

Fan, M.-H., Q. Zhu, H.-H. Li, H.-J. Ra, S. Majumdar, D.L. Gulick, J.A, Jerome, D.H. Madsen, M. Christofidou-Solomidou, D.W. Speicher, W.W. Bachovchin, C. Feghali-Bostwick, E. Puré. 2015. Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP) Accelerates Collagen Degradation and Clearance from the Lung in Mice. J. Biol. Chem. 291:8070-89. PMID:26663085

Lo, A., L.-C.S. Wang, J. Scholler, J. Monslow, D. Avery, K. Newick, S. O’Brien, R.A. Evans, D.J. Bajor, C. Clendenin, A.C. Durham, E.L. Buza, R.H. Vonderheide, C.H. June, S.M. Albelda and E. Puré. 2015. Tumor-promoting desmoplasia is disrupted by depleting FAP-expressing stromal cells. Cancer Research. 75(14):2800-2810. PMID: 25979873 PMCID: PMC4506263

Brisson, B.K., E.A. Mauldin, W. Lei, L.K. Vogel, A.M. Power, A. Lo, D. Dopkin, C. Khanna, R.G. Wells, E. Puré and S.W. Volk. 2015. Type III collagen directs stromal organization and limits metastasis in a murine model of breast cancer. Am J Pathol. 185:1471-86. PMID:2579528 PMCID: PMC4419211

Murty, S., T. Gilliland, P. Qiao, T. Tabtieng, E. Higbee, A. Al Zaki, E. Puré and A. Tsourkas. 2014 Nanoparticles functionalized with collagenase exhibit improved tumor accumulation in a murine xenograft model. Part Part Syst Charact. 31(12):1307-1312. PMID: 26380538 PMCID: PMC4569138

Bae,Y., K. Mui, B. Hsu, S. Liu, A. Cretu, A. Cretu, Z. Razinia, T. Xu, E. Puré, and R.K. Assoian. 2014. A FAK-Cas-Rac-lamellipodin signaling module transduces extracellular matrix stiffness into mechanosensitive cell cycling stiffness and mechanosensitive cell proliferation. Sci Signal. 7(330):ra57. PMID: 24939893 PMCID: PMC4345117.

Chopra, A., M.E. Murray, F.J. Byfield, M.G. Menendez, R. Halleluyan, D.J. Restle, R.-B. Aroush P.A. Galie, F. Byfield, R. Bucki, C. Marcinkiewicz, G.D. Prestwich, T.I. Zarembinski, C.S. Chen, E. Puré, J.Y. Kresh, P.A. Janmey. 2014. Augmentation of integrin-mediated mechanotransduction by hyaluronic acid. Biomaterials. 35:71-82. PMID: 21420037 PMCID: PMC3930571.

Wang, L.-C.S., A. Lo, J. Scholler, J. Sun, R.S. Majumdar, V. Kapoor, M. Antzis, C.E. Cotner, L.A. Johnson, A.C. Durham, C.C. Solomides, C.H. June, E. Puré, S.M. Albelda. 2013. Targeting fibroblast activation protein in tumor stroma with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells can inhibit tumor growth and augment host immunity without severe toxicity. Cancer Immunol Res. 2(2):154-166 PMID: 24778279 PMCID: PMC4007316108.

Eisinger-Mathason, T.S.K., M. Zhang, Q. Qiu, N. Skuli, M.S. Nakazawa, T. Karakasheva, C. Mucaj, J.E.S. Shay, L. Stangenberg, E. Puré, S.S. Yoon, D.G. Kirsch, M.C. Simon. 2013. Hypoxia-dependent modification of the collagen networks promotes sarcoma metastasis. Cancer Discovery. 3(10):1190-205. PMID:23906982 PMCID: PMC3822914.

Tchou, J., P.J. Zhang, Y.T. Bi., C. Satija, R. Majumdar, T.L. Stephen, H.Y. Chen, C. Mies, M. Herlyn, J. Conejo-Garcia, C.H. June and E. Puré. 2013. Fibroblast activation protein expression by stromal cells and tumor-associated macrophages in human breast cancer. Human Pathology. 44(11):2549-57. PMID:24074532 PMCID: PMC4283499.

El-Dakdouki M.H., E. Puré, Huang X. 2013. Development of drug loaded nanoparticles for tumor targeting. Part 2: Enhancement of tumor penetration through receptor mediated transcytosis in 3D tumor models. Nanoscale. 5(9) :3904-3911. PMID : 23549322 PMCID : PMC3643122.

El-Dakdouki, M.H., E. Puré, X. Huang. 2013. Development of drug loaded nanoparticles for tumor targeting. Part 1: synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation in 2D cell cultures. Nanoscale. 5(9):3895-3903. PMID: 23529646 PMCID : PMC3638024.

Tchou, J., A.V. Kossenkov, L. Chang, C. Satija, M. Herlyn, L.C. Showe and E. Puré. 2012. Human breast cancer associated fibroblasts exhibit subtype specific gene expression profiles. BMC Med. Genom. 5:39. PMID: 22954256 PMCID:PMC3505468.

Kinder, M. J.E. Thompson, C. Wei, S.G. Shelat, I.A. Blair, M. Carroll and E. Puré. 2010. Interferon regulatory factor-8 driven myeloid differentiation is regulated by 12/15-lipoxygenase-mediated redox signaling. Exp Hematol., 38:1036-1046. PMID: 20647020 PMCID: PMC2963586.

Kinder, M.,C. Wei, S.G. Shelat, M. Kundu, L. Zhao, I.A. Blair, E. Puré. 2010. Hematopoietic stem cell function requires 12/15-lipoxygenase-dependent fatty acid metabolism. Blood, 115:5012-5022. PMID: 20357242 PMCID: PMC2890149.

Santos, A.M., J. Jung, N Aziz, J.L. Kissil and E. Puré. 2009. Targeting fibroblast activation protein inhibits tumor stromagenesis and growth. J Clin Invest. 119:3613-3625. PMID 19920354 PMC 2786791.

Jacob, M., L.A. Todd, R.S. Majumdar, Y. Li, K.I. Yamamoto and E. Puré. 2009. Endogenous cAbl regulates receptor endocytosis. Cellular Signal. 21:1308-1316. PMID: 19344757. [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Mrass, P., I. Kinjyo, LG Ng, S.L. Reiner, E. Puré and W. Weninger. 2008. CD44 mediates successful interstitial navigation by killer T cells and enables efficient antitumor immunity. Immunity. 29:971-985 (accompanying Preview). PMCID: PMC2757129.

Kothapalli, D., J. Flowers, T. Xu, E. Puré and R.K. Assoian. 2008. Differential activation of Erk and Rac mediates the proliferative and anti-proliferative effects of hyaluronan and CD44. J. Biol. Chem. 283:31823-31829. PMCID: PMC2581577.

Zhao, L., E. Lee, A.M. Zukas, M.K. Middleton, M. Kinder, P.S. Acharya, R. Yahil, J.A. Hall, D.J. Rader and E. Puré. 2008. CD44 expressed on both bone marrow-derived and non-bone marrow-derived cells promotes atherogenesis in apoE-deficient mice. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 28:1283-1289. PMID: 18420998 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

Acharya, P.S., S. Majumdar, M. Jacob, J. Hayden, P. Mrass, W. Weninger, R.K. Assoian and E. Puré. 2008. Fibroblast migration is mediated by CD44-dependent TGF-β activation. J. Cell Sci. 121: 1393-1402. PMID: 18397995 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

Jacob, M., L.A. Todd, M.F. Sampson and E. Puré. 2008. Dual role of Cbl links critical events in receptor endocytosis. International Immunology. 20:485-497. Featured article. PMID: 18283045 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

Huang,Q., K. Gumireddy, M. Schrier, C. le Sage, R. Nagel, S. Nair, D.A. Egan, A. Li, G. Huang, A.J. Klein-Szanto, P.A. Gimotty, D. Katsaros, G. Coukos, L. Zhang, E. Puré and R. Agami. 2008. The microRNAs miR-373 and miR-520C promote tumor migration and invasion. Nature Cell Biology. 10:202-210. PMID: 18193036 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

Zhao, L., J.A. Hall, N. Levenkova, M.K. Middleton, A.M. Zukas, E. Lee, D.J. Rader, J.J. Rux and E. Puré. 2007. CD44 regulates vascular gene expression in a pro-atherogenic environment. Arterioscler. Thromb. and Vascular. Biol. 27:886-892. PMID: 17272751 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

Middleton, M.K., A.M. Zukas, T. Rubinstein, L. Zhao, M. Jacob, P. Zhu, L. Zhao, I. Blair and E. Puré. 2006. Identification of 12/15-lipoxygenase as a suppressor of myeloproliferative disease. J. Exp. Med. 203:2529-2540. PMCID: PMC2118138.

Acharya, P.S., A.M. Zukas, V. Chandan, A.-L.A. Katzenstein and E. Puré. 2006. Fibroblast activation protein: A serine protease expressed at the remodeling interface in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Human Pathology. 37:352-360. PMID: 16613331 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

Middleton, M., T. Rubinstein and E. Puré. 2006. Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of the Selective Regulation of IL-12 Production by 12/15-Lipoxygenase. J. Immunol. 176:265-274. PMID: 16365418 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

Cichy, J., P. Kulig and E. Puré. 2005. Regulation of the release and function of tumor cell-derived soluble CD44. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1745:59-64. PMID: 16085055 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

Cichy, J. and E. Puré. 2004. Cytokines regulate the affinity of soluble CD44 for hyaluronan. FEBS Lett. 556:69-74. PMID: 14706828 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

Cichy, J., R. Bals, J. Potempa, A. Mani and E. Puré. 2002. Proteinase-mediated release of epithelial cell-associated CD44: Extracellular CD44 complexes with components of cellular matrices. J. Biol. Chem. 277:44440-44447. PMID: 12226094 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

Teder, P., R. W. Vandivier, D. Jiang, J. Liang, L. Cohn, E. Puré, P.M. Henson and P.W. Noble. 2002. Resolution of lung inflammation by CD44. Science 296:155-158. PMID: 11935029 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].