Name:
Lawrence A Potempa
Country:
United States
City:
Schaumburg
State/Province:
IL
ACS Member:
true
Local Section:
Chicago
International Chapter:
Technical Division Membership:
Technical Division Membership Emeritus:
Subdivision Member:
ACS Activities:
Company/Institution Name:
Career Stage:
Professional
Research and Special Interests:
My laboratory’s research interests are in innate immunity and inflammation. Specifically, we are evaluating structure/function relationships of C-reactive protein as a biological response modifier. We have uncovered a mechanism whereby the widely studied serum-soluble pentameric CRP disc (pCRP) dissociates and undergoes an irreversible conformational rearrangement into a potent pro-inflammatory molecule termed modified, monomeric CRP (mCRP). mCRP can regulate complement activation and lipoprotein metabolism. Furthermore, when mCRP gets reduced, it becomes a potent activator of cellular responses by interacting with lipid rafts motifs and triggering intracellular signaling pathways that promote an aggressive inflammatory response. Our laboratory is investigating the how CRP isoforms can be used and pharmacologically controlled for therapeutic benefit.
Area of Expertise:
Biochemistry and Immunology
Years of Expertise:
26 or more