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Yajaira Suarez, PhD

Professor and Deputy Chair in Comparative Medicine -

Contact Information

Yajaira Suarez, PhD

Mailing Address

  • PO Box PO Box 208089

    10 Amistad Street

    New Haven, CT 06520-8089

    United States

Extensive Research Description

In our laboratory we novel regulatory mechanisms involved in the regulation of endothelial cell and macrophage functions. Both cell types play major role in controlling both angiogenic and inflammatory responses and the interplay between these two cell types has been shown to be critical for several pathophysiological conditions like atherosclerosis, cancer (tumor growth), adipose tissue expansion and wound healing, among others.

To this end, we are utilizing different approaches combining molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, together with genetically modified mouse models.

Our research program focuses in four different areas:

1) studying the role of non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs, on endothelial cell and macrophage responses to cytokines and growth factors in order to determine the molecular mechanisms that regulates their expression and their overall contribution in regulating angiogenic and inflammatory responses.

2) understanding the implication of endothelial metabolic rewiring on endothelial cell functions

3) understanding the relationship between macrophage inflammatory responses and metabolic regulation (immunometabolism)

4) identifying and characterizing novel mechanisms regulation of cholesterol and lipoprotein metabolism and their involvement in cardiometabolic diseases.



Coauthors

Research Interests

Cardiovascular Diseases; Inflammation; Metabolism; Angiogenesis Modulating Agents; Atherosclerosis

Research Image

Selected Publications

  • Hepatocyte-specific suppression of ANGPTL4 improves obesity-associated diabetes and mitigates atherosclerosis in mice.Singh AK, Chaube B, Zhang X, Sun J, Citrin KM, Canfrán-Duque A, Aryal B, Rotllan N, Varela L, Lee RG, Horvath TL, Price N, Suárez Y, Fernandez-Hernando C. Hepatocyte-specific suppression of ANGPTL4 improves obesity-associated diabetes and mitigates atherosclerosis in mice. The Journal Of Clinical Investigation 2021 PMID: 34255741, PMCID: PMC8409581, DOI: 10.1172/JCI140989.
  • Desmosterol suppresses macrophage inflammasome activation and protects against vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis.Zhang X, McDonald JG, Aryal B, Canfrán-Duque A, Goldberg EL, Araldi E, Ding W, Fan Y, Thompson BM, Singh AK, Li Q, Tellides G, Ordovás-Montanes J, García Milian R, Dixit VD, Ikonen E, Suárez Y, Fernández-Hernando C. Desmosterol suppresses macrophage inflammasome activation and protects against vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2021, 118 PMID: 34782454, PMCID: PMC8617522, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107682118.
  • Suppressing miR-21 activity in tumor-associated macrophages promotes an antitumor immune response.Sahraei M, Chaube B, Liu Y, Sun J, Kaplan A, Price NL, Ding W, Oyaghire S, García-Milian R, Mehta S, Reshetnyak YK, Bahal R, Fiorina P, Glazer PM, Rimm DL, Fernández-Hernando C, Suárez Y. Suppressing miR-21 activity in tumor-associated macrophages promotes an antitumor immune response. The Journal Of Clinical Investigation 2019, 129: 5518-5536. PMID: 31710308, PMCID: PMC6877327, DOI: 10.1172/JCI127125.
  • Absence of ANGPTL4 in adipose tissue improves glucose tolerance and attenuates atherogenesis.Aryal B, Singh AK, Zhang X, Varela L, Rotllan N, Goedeke L, Chaube B, Camporez JP, Vatner DF, Horvath TL, Shulman GI, Suárez Y, Fernández-Hernando C. Absence of ANGPTL4 in adipose tissue improves glucose tolerance and attenuates atherogenesis. JCI Insight 2018, 3 PMID: 29563332, PMCID: PMC5926923, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.97918.
  • Lanosterol Modulates TLR4-Mediated Innate Immune Responses in Macrophages.Araldi E, Fernández-Fuertes M, Canfrán-Duque A, Tang W, Cline GW, Madrigal-Matute J, Pober JS, Lasunción MA, Wu D, Fernández-Hernando C, Suárez Y. Lanosterol Modulates TLR4-Mediated Innate Immune Responses in Macrophages. Cell Reports 2017, 19: 2743-2755. PMID: 28658622, PMCID: PMC5553565, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.05.093.
  • Macrophage deficiency of miR-21 promotes apoptosis, plaque necrosis, and vascular inflammation during atherogenesis.Canfrán-Duque A, Rotllan N, Zhang X, Fernández-Fuertes M, Ramírez-Hidalgo C, Araldi E, Daimiel L, Busto R, Fernández-Hernando C, Suárez Y. Macrophage deficiency of miR-21 promotes apoptosis, plaque necrosis, and vascular inflammation during atherogenesis. EMBO Molecular Medicine 2017, 9: 1244-1262. PMID: 28674080, PMCID: PMC5582411, DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201607492.
  • Genetic Dissection of the Impact of miR-33a and miR-33b during the Progression of Atherosclerosis.Price NL, Rotllan N, Canfrán-Duque A, Zhang X, Pati P, Arias N, Moen J, Mayr M, Ford DA, Baldán Á, Suárez Y, Fernández-Hernando C. Genetic Dissection of the Impact of miR-33a and miR-33b during the Progression of Atherosclerosis. Cell Reports 2017, 21: 1317-1330. PMID: 29091769, PMCID: PMC5687841, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.10.023.
  • VEGF-Induced Expression of miR-17-92 Cluster in Endothelial Cells Is Mediated by ERK/ELK1 Activation and Regulates Angiogenesis.Chamorro-Jorganes A, Lee MY, Araldi E, Landskroner-Eiger S, Fernández-Fuertes M, Sahraei M, Quiles Del Rey M, van Solingen C, Yu J, Fernández-Hernando C, Sessa WC, Suárez Y. VEGF-Induced Expression of miR-17-92 Cluster in Endothelial Cells Is Mediated by ERK/ELK1 Activation and Regulates Angiogenesis. Circulation Research 2016, 118: 38-47. PMID: 26472816, PMCID: PMC4703066, DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.115.307408.
  • MicroRNA-148a regulates LDL receptor and ABCA1 expression to control circulating lipoprotein levels.Goedeke L, Rotllan N, Canfrán-Duque A, Aranda JF, Ramírez CM, Araldi E, Lin CS, Anderson NN, Wagschal A, de Cabo R, Horton JD, Lasunción MA, Näär AM, Suárez Y, Fernández-Hernando C. MicroRNA-148a regulates LDL receptor and ABCA1 expression to control circulating lipoprotein levels. Nature Medicine 2015, 21: 1280-9. PMID: 26437365, PMCID: PMC4711995, DOI: 10.1038/nm.3949.
  • Autoregulation of glypican-1 by intronic microRNA-149 fine tunes the angiogenic response to FGF2 in human endothelial cells.Chamorro-Jorganes A, Araldi E, Rotllan N, Cirera-Salinas D, Suárez Y. Autoregulation of glypican-1 by intronic microRNA-149 fine tunes the angiogenic response to FGF2 in human endothelial cells. Journal Of Cell Science 2014, 127: 1169-78. PMID: 24463821, PMCID: PMC3953812, DOI: 10.1242/jcs.130518.
  • MicroRNA-16 and microRNA-424 regulate cell-autonomous angiogenic functions in endothelial cells via targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and fibroblast growth factor receptor-1.Chamorro-Jorganes A, Araldi E, Penalva LO, Sandhu D, Fernández-Hernando C, Suárez Y. MicroRNA-16 and microRNA-424 regulate cell-autonomous angiogenic functions in endothelial cells via targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and fibroblast growth factor receptor-1. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, And Vascular Biology 2011, 31: 2595-606. PMID: 21885851, PMCID: PMC3226744, DOI: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.111.236521.
  • Cutting edge: TNF-induced microRNAs regulate TNF-induced expression of E-selectin and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 on human endothelial cells: feedback control of inflammation.Suárez Y, Wang C, Manes TD, Pober JS. Cutting edge: TNF-induced microRNAs regulate TNF-induced expression of E-selectin and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 on human endothelial cells: feedback control of inflammation. Journal Of Immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 2010, 184: 21-5. PMID: 19949084, PMCID: PMC2797568, DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0902369.
  • MiR-33 contributes to the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis.Rayner KJ, Suárez Y, Dávalos A, Parathath S, Fitzgerald ML, Tamehiro N, Fisher EA, Moore KJ, Fernández-Hernando C. MiR-33 contributes to the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis. Science (New York, N.Y.) 2010, 328: 1570-3. PMID: 20466885, PMCID: PMC3114628, DOI: 10.1126/science.1189862.
  • Dicer-dependent endothelial microRNAs are necessary for postnatal angiogenesis.Suárez Y, Fernández-Hernando C, Yu J, Gerber SA, Harrison KD, Pober JS, Iruela-Arispe ML, Merkenschlager M, Sessa WC. Dicer-dependent endothelial microRNAs are necessary for postnatal angiogenesis. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2008, 105: 14082-7. PMID: 18779589, PMCID: PMC2544582, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0804597105.
  • Dicer dependent microRNAs regulate gene expression and functions in human endothelial cells.Suárez Y, Fernández-Hernando C, Pober JS, Sessa WC. Dicer dependent microRNAs regulate gene expression and functions in human endothelial cells. Circulation Research 2007, 100: 1164-73. PMID: 17379831, DOI: 10.1161/01.RES.0000265065.26744.17.
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