Seth Thacker
e-mail address: seththac@umich.edu

Mentor: Mariana Kaplan, MD

Research Description

We are currently investigating the reasons behind why systemic lupus
erythematosus (SLE) patients are more susceptible to cardiovascular
disease. A balance between cardiovascular damage and repair is key to
warding off cardiovascular disease. Our lab and other have observed
that SLE patients have aberrant repair mediated by endothelial
progenitor cells (EPCs) which are a key cell involved in vascular
repair. Our current focus is examining IFN-a, a key molecule in SLE
pathogenesis, and its role in the defective vascular repair observed
in SLE patients.

Publications

Thacker S, Duquaine D, Park J, Kaplan MJ. Lupus-prone New Zealand
Black/New Zealand White F1 mice display endothelial dysfunction and
abnormal phenotype and function of endothelial progenitor cells. (In
press). 2009.

Zhoe W, Thacker S, Kaplan MJ. The Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated
Receptor-Gamma agonist Pioglitazone improves cardiometabolic risk and
renal inflammation in murine lupus. J Immunol.

Monrad SU, Rea K, Thacker S, Kaplan MJ. Myeloid dendritic cells
display downregulation of C-type lectin receptors and aberrant lectin
uptake in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Res Ther. 2008 Sep
23;10:R114.

Tran CN, Thacker SG, Louie DM, et al. Interactions of T cells with
fibroblast-like synoviocytes: role of the B7 family costimulatory
ligand B7-H3. J Immunol. 2008 Mar 1;180:2989-98.

Denny MF, Thacker S, Mehta H, et al. Interferon-alpha promotes
abnormal vasculogenesis in lupus: a potential pathway for premature
atherosclerosis. Blood. 2007 Oct 15;110:2907-15.
.

Abstracts

Thacker S, Duquaine D, Park J, Kaplan MJ. Lupus Prone Mice Display
Endothelial Dysfunction And Abnormal Vascular Repair. The American
College of Rheumatology 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting. 2008.


Michael F. Denny, Seth Thacker, Hemal Mehta, Emily C. Somers, Todd Dodick, Jennifer Johnson, Franck J. Barrat2, W. Joseph McCune, Mariana J. Kaplan: Linking Interferon-alpha and Premature Atherosclerosis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. ACR 2007

Seth Thacker, Damon Duquaine, James Park and Mariana J. Kaplan: Lupus prone mice display endothelial dysfunction and abnormal vascular repair. Internal Medicine Research Day 2008

Awards

ACR REF/Abbott Medical/Graduate Student Achievement Award