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John J. Laterra is a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also a Professor in the Department of Neurology, Neuroscience and Oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also the Director of the Division of Neuro-Oncology in the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins.
Biographical Sketch:
Dr. Laterra received his BA Phi Beta Kappa from Washington University in St. Louis, where he majored in Physics. He then attended Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland in their Medical Scientist Training Program, where he obtained first a Ph.D. in Microbiology in 1982, followed by an M.D. in 1984. He was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha in 1984. He served an internship in internal medicine, as well as a residency and chief residency in neurology, at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Dr. Laterra came to Johns Hopkins and the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1988.
Dr. Laterra is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Neurological Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the Society for Neuro-Oncology. He is on the Scientific Advisory Council of the American Brain Tumor Association and a member of the Brain Disorders and Clinical Neurosciences-4 Study Section of the National Institutes of Health.
Research Summary:
Dr. Laterra's laboratory focuses on the cellular and molecular biology of primary brain tumor malignancy, with the combined goals of defining basic mechanisms and translating these discoveries into experimental therapeutics. He is particularly interested in the molecular mechanisms of glioma cell growth and survival pathways, tumor-related angiogenesis, and the functioning of the blood-brain and blood-tumor barriers.
Dr. Laterra is also interested in developing novel gene delivery strategies applicable to brain and brain tumors. Novel chimeric ribozymes are presently being used for in vitro and pre-clinical in vivo gene targeting. He has also pioneered the development of cellular platforms for transfering genes and their products to brain and brain tumors. His laboratory has focused these efforts on endothelial cell-based and more recently pluripotent stem cell-based strategies.
Recent Publications/Presentations:
Hossain MA, Russell JC, Miknyoczki B, Lal B and Laterra J. Vascular endothelial growth factor mediates vasogenic edema formation in acute lead encephalopathy. Annals of Neurology, in press.
Walter KA, Hossain MA, Luddy C, Goel N, Reznik TE and Laterra J: Scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor stimulation of glioblastoma cell cycle progression through G1 is c-Myc dependent, and independent of p27 suppression cdk2 activation, or E2F1-dependent transcription. Mol Cell Biol, 22:2703-2715, 2002
Abounader R, Lal B, Luddy C, Koe G, Davidson B, Rosen EM and Laterra J. In vivo targeting of SF/HGF and c-met expression via U1snRNA/ribozymes inhibits glioma growth and angiogenesis and promotes tumor apoptosis, FASEB J, express, published online 11/29/01, 10.1096/fj.01-0421fje.
Hossain MA, Bouton ML, Pevsner J and Laterra J. Induction of vascular endothelial growth factor in human astrocytes by lead: Involvement of a PKC/AP-1 dependent and HIF-1 independent signaling pathway. J Biol Chem 275: 27874-27882, 2000.
Bowers DC, Fan S, Walter K, Abounader R, Willams JA, Rosen EM and Laterra J. Scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor activates AKT and protects against cytotoxic death in human glioblastoma via PI3-kinase and AKT-dependent pathways. Cancer Res 60: 4277-4283, 2000.
Abounader R, Ranganathan S, Lal B, Fielding K, Book A, Dietz H, Burger P and Laterra J. Reversion of human glioblastoma malignancy by U1snRNA/ribozyme targeting of scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor and c-met gene expression. J Natl Cancer Inst 91: 1548-1556, 1999. | 