Thomas Myron Coffman

My laboratory is interested mechanisms of kidney injury in disease states and the role of the kidney in regulation of blood pressure. Our research addresses issues that are relevant to disorders such as hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, transplant rejection, and autoimmune diseases. We have been particularly interested in two hormone systems that impact these processes: (1) the renin-angiotensin system and (2) lipid mediators derived from cyco-oxygenase metabolism of arachidonic acid. Our studies have taken advantage of available technologies for producing genetic alterations in mice to study the physiology of these systems. As one example, we generated and characterized lines of mice lacking the major physiological receptors for angiotensin II in the mouse. These studies have provided novel information regarding the role of these receptors in blood pressure homeostasis, in promoting kidney injury in disease states, and in the regulation of inflammation. A major objective of our work is to identify new approaches to treatment and disease prevention. To this end, we are using molecular genetic technology to develop and refine mouse models of human diseases such as diabetic nephropathy, kidney transplant rejection, and hypertension.