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Dr. Wolters received in his M.D. degree from the University of
Minnesota in 1992; trained in internal medicine at the University
of Colorado, and pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University
of California, San Francisco. He joined the division of pulmonary
and critical care medicine in 1999. His primary clinical interest
is caring for patients with interstitial lung diseases.
My lab has two areas of research. The first is directed toward understanding the cause of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), with a focus on how lung epithelial cells contribute to the disease process. To achieve this goal, we are using biological samples obtained from patients to identify how the tissues and cells are different from normal patients. This analysis should provide clues to the causes of IPF and lung fibrosis in general.
The second area of investigation is directed toward understanding the role mast cells play in regulating the host response to severe lung infections and sepsis. While mast cells are well recognized mediators of allergic disease, they only recently have been shown to help fight infections. Our studies use animal models of severe infections to identifying how mast cells recognize the presence of bacterial infections, the mediators they release when activated by bacteria, and how these mediators influence patient survival during the response to infection.
Sutherland RE, Touger JS, McKinstry A, Villalta, SA, and Wolters PJ. Mast Cell IL-6 Improves Survival Following Klebsiella Pneumonia and Sepsis by Enhancing Neutrophil Killing. J Immunol 2008; 181: 5598-605.
Zamora AC, Wolters PJ, Collard HR, Connolly MK, Elicker BM, Webb WR, King TE Jr, and Golden JA. The Use of Mycophenolate Mofetil to Treat Scleroderma-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease. Respir Med 2008; 102: 150-5.
Pottier N, Chupin C, Defamie V, Cardinaud B, Sutherland R, Rios G, Gauthier F, Wolters PJ, Berthiaume Y, Barbry P, and Mari B. Relationships between the early inflammatory response to bleomycin and the sensitivity to lung fibrosis in mice: a potential role for dipeptidyl peptidase I and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2007; 176: 1098-1107.
Arya J, Cambier S, Markovics JA, Wolters P, Jablons D, Hill A, Finkbeiner W, Jones K, Broaddus VC, Sheppard D, Barzac A, Erle DJ, and Nishimura S. Squamous metaplasia amplifies pathologic epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in COPD patients. J Clin Invest 2007; 117: 3551-3562.
Sun J, Sukhova GK, Yang M, Wolters PJ, MacFarlane LA, Libby P, Sun C, Zhang Y, Ennis T, Thompson RW, and Shi GP. Mast Cells Control the Pathogenesis of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms. J Clin Invest 2007; 117: 3359-3368.
Kinder BW, Collard HR, Koth LL, Daikh DI, Wolters PJ, Elicker BM, Jones K, and King TE Jr. The clinical entity idiopathic Nonspecific Interstitial Pneumonia is an autoimmune disease and the lung manifestation of Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2007; 176: 691-697.
Sun J*, Sukhova GK*, Wolters PJ*, Yang M, Kitamoto S, Libby P, MacFarlane LA, Mallen-St. Clair J, and Shi GP. Mast Cells Promote Atherosclerosis by Releasing Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines. (* contributed equally). Nat Med. 2007; 13: 719-724. Calfee CS, Shah SJ, Wolters PJ, Saint S, and King TE Jr. Clinical Problem Solving. "Anchors Away". N Engl J Med. 2007; 365: 58-63.
Zamora AC, Collard HR, Wolters PJ, Webb WR, and King TE Jr. Neurofibromatosis-Associated Lung Disease: A Case Series and Literature Review. Eur Respir J. 2007; 29: 210-214.
Xu X, Zhang D, Wolters PJ, Killeen NP, Sullivan BM, Locksley RM, and Caughey GH. Neutrophil Histamine Contributes to Inflammation in Mycoplasma Pneumonia. J Exp Med. 2006; 203: 2907-2917.
Wang B, Huang X, Wolters PJ, Sun J, Kitamoto S, Yang M, Riese R, Leng L, Chapman HA, Finn PW, David JR, Bucala R, and Shi GP. Cutting Edge: Deficiency of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Impairs Murine Airway Allergic Responses. J Immunol. 2006; 177: 5779-5784.
Kim KK, Kugler MC, Wolters PJ, Robillard L, Galvez MG, Brumwell AN, Sheppard D, and Chapman HA. Alveolar epithelial cell mesenchymal transition develops in vivo during pulmonary fibrosis and is regulated by the extracellular matrix. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2006; 103: 13180-13185.
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