The Stewart Lab is focused on translational research utilizing stem/progenitor cells (i.e. endothelial progenitor cells EPCs, mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs], induced pluripotent stem cells [iPSCs]) for the treatment of cardiopulmonary and vascular diseases, together with enhancement strategies to increase their regenerative activity and overcome the deleterious effects of aging and attendant cardiac risk factors.

Ongoing projects range from basic science discovery research on novel mechanisms of pulmonary hypertension and the role of exosomes in mediating the therapeutic effects of stems cells in vascular disease, to translational research including clinical trials on gene-enhanced progenitor cell therapy for acute myocardial infarction and immunomodulatory cell therapy for septic shock.

The role of endothelial factors, such as nitric oxide and angiopoietins, in vascular health and disease, as well as in angiogenesis and neovascularization, continues to be a central focus for our work.

Our work is supported by:
Canada Foundation for Innovation
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Ontario Research Fund

Granton J, Langleben D, Kutryk MB, Camack N, Galipeau J, Courtman DW, Stewart DJ. Endothelial NO-synthase gene-enhanced progenitor cell therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension: The PHACeT Trial. Circ Res. 2015 Sept 11;117(7):645-54.

Lavoie JR, Ormiston M, Perez-Iratxeta C, Courtman DW, Jiang B, Ferrer E, Caruso P, Southwood M, Foster WS, Morrell NW, Stewart DJ. Proteomic analysis implicates translationally controlled tumor protein as a novel mediator of occlusive vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Circulation. 2014 May 27;129(21):2125-35.

Mei SHJ, Haitsma JJ, Dos Santos CC, Deng Y, Lai PFH, Slutsky AS, Liles WC, Stewart DJ. Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reduce Inflammation While Enhancing Bacterial Clearance and Improving Survival in Sepsis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010 Oct 15;182(8):1047-57.

Taljaard M, Ward MR, Kutryk MJ, Courtman DW, Camack NJ, Goodman SG, Parker TG, Dick AJ, Galipeau J, Stewart DJ. Rationale and Design of ENACT-AMI: The first Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial of Enhanced Progenitor Cell Therapy for Acute Myocardial Infarction. Am Heart J. 2010 Mar;159(3):354-60.

Zhao YD, Courtman DW, Deng Y, Kugathasan L, Zhang Q, Stewart DJ. Rescue of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension using bone marrow-derived endothelial-like progenitor cells: efficacy of combined cell and eNOS gene therapy in established disease. Circ Res. 2005 Mar 4;96(4):442-50.

Giaid A, Yanagisawa M, Langleben D, Michel RP, Levy R, Shennib H, Kimura S, Masaki T, Duguid WP, Stewart DJ. Expression of endothelin-1 in lungs of patients with pulmonary hypertension. New Engl J Med. 328(24): 1732-1739, 1993.

Staff
Yupu Deng, Senior Research Associate
Kenny Schlosser, Senior Research Associate
Maria Florian, Research Associate
Pramod Sahadevan, Research Associate
Mahmoud Salkhordeh, Research Technician
Chi Wang, Research Technician (Lab Manager)
Anli Yang, Research Technician

Trainees
Jalil Azami, Postdoctoral Fellow
Savi Gupta, PhD Candidate
Elmira Safaie Qamsari, PhD Candidate
Elham Salehisiavashani, PhD Candidate