LUCIA SCHUGER, M.D.

Professor of Pathology

Education:
Buenos Aires University, Argentina, M.D. , 1977, Medicine
Hebrew University, Israel , Residency , 1986, Pathology
Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI , Post-Doc, 1989, Cell Biology

Training and Experience:

Buenos Aires University, Medical School, Argentina, awarded M.D. degree (1972- 1977).
Internship Soroka Hospital, Negev University, Beer-Sheva (1980).
Resident, Department of Pathology, Haddasah Medical Center, Hebrew University, Israel (1981-1986).
Instructor, Department of Pathology, Haddasah Medical Center, Hebrew University, Israel (1986-1987).
Research Fellow, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (1987-1989).
Research Investigator, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (1990-1991).
Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Mallory Institute, Boston University, MA (1991-1994).
Associate Professor, Wayne State University, Department of Pathology (1995- 2000).
Professor, Wayne state University , Department of Pathology (2000-current).

Major Research Interests:

Embryogenesis, lung development, extracellular matrix, smooth muscle myogenesis.

About Our Lab:

Our research is divided into two main fields. One is the role of the extracellular matrix in lung organogenesis. Over several years we have been focused on the basement membrane and in particular on laminins. We have tried to understand how laminins contribute to basement membrane formation and thereby to epithelial and mesenchymal cell polarization.

The other major area of research in my lab is embryonic mesenchymal stem cells and how they undergo differentiation into smooth muscle and into other mesenchymal cell lineages. Our interest on the multipotential embryonic mesenchymal stemmed from laminin studies but soon became a separate subject of investigation. We have identified several known and unknown Genes that seem to participate in the process of myogenesis and we are currently determining their functional role and potential interactions.

At the present we are a small team of 3 post-docs, a research assistant and myself. We hold lab meetings once a week to present and discuss data, papers and interesting new techniques. Informally we interchange ideas and suggestions about each one's projects on a daily basis. Once a year most of us go to a meeting, which is generally ASCB, in December. The environment in the lab is relaxed and focused on results instead of time schedules. Despite this fact, everybody comes relatively early and stays late. I know this reflects a genuine motivation and I feel fortunate to work with such a team.

Regarding salaries, I think that ours are very competitive in relation to other academic settings. Furthermore, I make special efforts in rewarding merit and good work.

We are always seeking for people with a genuine interest in developmental biology and stem cell research. The projects that we have to offer are many and with different levels of risk as to the chances of success. Most of these projects involve cell and molecular biology and/or protein biochemistry techniques and we offer excellent training in cutting edge technologies.

Representative Publications:

1. Schuger, L., O'Shea, S., Rheinheimer, J., and Varani, J. Laminin in lung development: Effects of anti-laminin antibody in murine lung morphogenesis. Dev. Biol. 137: 26-32, 1990.

2. Schuger, L., O'Shea, S., Nelson, B.B., and Varani, J. Organotypic arrangement of mouse embryonic lung cells on a basement membrane extract: involvement of aminin. Development 110: 1091-1099, 1990.

3. Schuger, L., Dixit, V. M., Carey, T. E., and Varani, J. Modulation of squamous carcinoma cell growth, morphology, adhesiveness and extracellular matrix production by interferon g and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Pathobiology. 58: 279-286. 1990.

4. Schuger, L., Skubitz, A.P.N., O'Shea, K.S., Chang, J.F., and Varani, J. Identification of laminin domains involved in epithelial branching morphogenesis: Effects of anti-laminin monoclonal antibodies on mouse embryonic lung development. Dev. Biol. 146: 531-541, 1991.

5. Schuger, L., Varani, J., Killen, P.D., Skubitz, A.P.N., Gilbride, K. Laminin expression in the mouse lung increases with developmant and stimulates spontaneous organotypic rearrangement of mixed lung cells. Dev. Dyn. 195: 43-54, 1992.

6. Schuger, L., Varani, J, Mitra, J. Gilbride, K. Retinoic acid stimulates mouse lung development by a mechanism involving epithelial-mesenchymal interaction and regulation of epidermal growth factor receptors. Dev. Biol. 159, 462-473, 1993.

7. Schuger, L., Skubitz, A.P.N., Morenas, A., Gilbride, K. The globular regions of laminin B chain(s) and the cross section of the molecule facilitate lung development by different mechanisms of action. Dev. Biol. 169, 520-532, 1995.

8. Schuger, L., Johnson, G. R., Gilbride, Plowman, G. D., K. Mandel, R., Amphiregulin in lung branching morphogenesis: interaction with heparan sulfate proteoglycan modulates cell proliferation, Development, 122, 1759- 1767, 1996.

9. Schuger, L., Skubitz, A.P.N., Gilbride, K., Mandel, R., and He, L Laminin and heparan sulfate proteoglycan mediate epithelial cell polarization in organotypic cocultures of embryonic lung cells: evidence implicating involvement of the inner globular region of laminin b1 chain and the heparan sulfate groups of heparan sulfate proteoglycan. Dev. Biol. 179, 264-273 1996.

10. Schuger, L., Laminins in lung development Exp. Lung Res. 23, 119-129 1997.

11. Schuger, L., Skubitz, A.P.N., Zhang, J., Sorokin, L. He, L. Laminin alpha1 chain synthesis in the mouse developing lung: requirement for epithelial-mesenchymal contact and possible role in bronchial smooth muscle development. J. Cell Biol. 139, 553-562, 1997.

12. Schuger, L., Yurchenco, P., Relan, N., Yang, Y. Laminin fragment E4 inhibition studies: basement membrane assembly and embryonic lung epithelial cell polarization requires laminin polymerization. Int. J. Dev. Biol. 41, 217-220, 1998.

13. Yang, Y., Palmer, K.C., Diglio, C., Schuger, L., Lung embryonic mesenchymal cells follow a myogenic pathway upon spreading. Role of the airway basement membrane in bronchial smooth muscle development. Development 125, 2621-2629, 1998.

14. Relan, N. and Schuger, L. Basement Membranes in Development (review). Perspect. Pediat. Pathol 1998 2,103-118, 1999.

15. Yang, Y., Relan, K. Nand, Przywara, D., Schuger, L. Differentiation of smooth muscle cell precursors is determined by the cell shape. Development, 126:3027-3033, 1999.

16. Varani, J., Dame, M. K., Wojno, K., Schuger, L., Johnson, K. J. Characteristics of non-malignant and malignant human prostate in organ culture. Lab. Invest, 79: 723-731, 1999.

17. Zhang, J., O'Shea, S. K., Schuger, L. Bronchial smooth muscle hypoplasia in mouse embryonic lungs exposed to a laminin b1 chain antisense oligonucleotide. Mech. Dev. 89: 15-23, 1999.

18. Relan, N. K., Becovic, S. H., Miner, J. H., Schuger, L. Cell elongation induces laminin alpha2 chain expression in mouse embryonic mesenchymal cells: role in visceral myogenesis.
J. Cell. Biol. 147: 1341-1350, 1999.

19. Quereshi, F., Yang, Y., Naparstek, Y. Jacques, S. M., Schuger, L. Anti-DNA antibodies cross-reacting with laminin inhibit trophoblast attachment and migration: implications for recurrent pregnancy loss in some SLE patients. J. Reprod. Immunol. 44:136-142, 2000.

20. Yang, Y., Beqaj, S., Ariel, I., Schuger, L. Stretch-induced alternative splicing of serum response factor promotes bronchial myogenesis and is defective in lung hypoplasia. J. Clin. Invest. 106:1321-31, 2000.

21. Liu, J., Beqaj, S., Yang, Y., Honore, B., Schuger, L. Heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoprotein-H plays a suppressive role in myogenesis. Mech. Dev.104:79-87. 2001.

22. Beqaj, S., Jakkaraju, S., Mattingly, R. R., Pan, D., Schuger, L. High RhoA activity maintains the undifferentiated mesenchymal cell phenotype whereas RhoA downregulation by laminin-2 induces smooth muscle myogenesis J. Cell. Biol. 156:893-903, 2002.

23. Pan, D., Zhe, X., Jakkaraju, S., Taylor, G.A., Schuger, L. P311 induces a TGF-beta 1-independant, non-fibrogenic myofibroblast phenotype. J. Clin. Invent.110:1349.

24. Zhe, X., Yang, Y., Jakkarju, S., Schuger, L. Downregulation of TIMP-3 in lymphangioleiomyomatosis. A potential consequence of abnormal serum response factor expression. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. (in press)

Email: lschuger@med.wayne.edu