Sara Rosario

• Oregon Health & Science University

High plasma apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins are both a biomarker and a causal mediator of many metabolic diseases. Inhibition of APOB mRNA decreases plasma lipid levels but at a risk of lipid accumulation in tissues. To understand the global consequences of reduced apoB synthesis, we generated a human hepatoma (Huh-7) cell culture m...

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) increases plasma LDL levels due to the degradation of the LDL receptor (LDLR). Anti PCSK9 antibody treatment leads to up to 70% reduction in plasma LDL levels. However, for poorly understood reasons, the treatment has no effect in some patients. Glycosylation is one of several PCSK9 post-transla...

High levels of circulating Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] are an independent risk factor for CVD. One of the major limitations to investigating Lp(a) biology is the need for large volumes of plasma (4–10 mL) for its isolation. We developed an isolation technique requiring only 0.4 mL of plasma yielding an enriched Lp(a) fraction suitable for compositional...

Rationale: Prospective cohort studies question the value of HDL-C for stroke risk prediction. Objective: Investigate the relationship between long-term functional recovery and HDL proteome and function. Methods and Results: Changes in HDL protein composition and function (cholesterol efflux capacity, or CEC) in patients after acute ischemic stroke...

Recent developments in in situ microscopy have enabled unparalleled resolution of the architecture of the bone marrow (BM) niche for murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). However, the extent to which these observations can be extrapolated to human BM remains unknown. In humans, adipose tissue occupies a significant portion of the...

Elevated serum lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels are associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. We recently identified plasminogen (PLG) as a driver of ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux and demonstrated that its action is inhibited by purified human Lp(a). The effects of Lp(a) in human serum on ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux and on the i...

Rationale Elevated serum lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels are associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux from macrophages is believed to be an anti-atherogenic process. We recently identified plasminogen as a driver of ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux and showed that its action is inhibited by purified hu...

Since the discovery of Buckminster Fullerenes (C60), countless hours have been devoted to the study of this carbon nanoparticle. C60 has been investigated in context of photodynamic therapy of cancer, photovoltaic cells, semiconductors, and enzyme inhibition. However, the biological effects of C60 remain a mystery. The intention of this study was t...