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Ricardo Aguiar, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine
Biochemistry
Microbiology, and Immunology
Lymphoma Biology
BCR signaling, transcription factor deregulation, and mitochondrial metabolism
Our group focus is on the identification and functional characterization of the genetic abnormalities of hematologic malignancies. We utilize in vitro and in vivo systems, in genome-wide or targeted studies, with the intent of translating these discoveries into clinical initiatives. The principal disease model in our lab is B-cell lymphoma. Active research lines stem from our recently published work and include: 1) The intersection between B-cell receptor signaling and phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) as actionable therapeutic targets in mature B cell malignancies; 2) Metabolic imbalance and epigenetic reprogramming in lymphomas; 3) Transcription factor IRF8 and lymphomagenesis.
Related diseases: B cell lymphomas, lymphoid leukemias
Techniques: Genetic modification of cancer cells in vitro using retrovirus and lentivirus, genetic engineering of mouse models, in vivo (mouse) manipulations, multiple signaling assays, genome-wide analysis (DNA, RNA, and protein) of primary human tumors
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Professional Background
Education
- 1998 - Postdoctoral Fellowship - Lymphoma Biology - Harvard Medical School
- 1996 - Postdoctoral Fellowship - Leukemia Biology - Centre for Adult Leukaemia, Hammersmith Hospital, University of London
- 1994 - PhD - Leukemia Biology (Magna Cum Laude) - University of Sao Paulo, School of Medicine
- 1992 - Clinical Fellowship - Hematology & Oncology - Hospital das Clinicas, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo
- 1990 - Residency - Internal Medicine - Hospital das Clinicas, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo
- 1988 - MD - Medicine - Federal University of Paraiba
Appointments
- 1998 - 2005 - Instructor in Medicine - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- 2005 - 2010 - Assistant Professor in Medicine and Biochemistry - UT Health San Antonio
- 2012 - 2019 - Associate Director South Texas MSTP (MD/PhD) Program - UT Health San Antonio
- 2010 - 2015 - Associate Professor in Medicine and Biochemistry (tenured in 2012) - UT Health San Antonio
- 2015 - Present - Professor in Medicine, Biochemistry and Immunology (tenured) - UT Health San Antonio
- 2019 - Present - Vice Chief for Research - Division of Hematology/Med Oncology - UT Health San Antonio
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Instruction & Training
- 2005 - Present, Post-Doctoral Student Supervision, UTHSA
- 2010 - Present, Junior Faculty Supervision, UTHSA
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Research & Grants
- BX001882-09 VA Merit Award (PI -Aguiar)
04/2022 - 03/2026
Title: Post-translation control of TET function in lymphoma
- R01ES031522 - NIH/NIES (PI – Aguiar)
04/2020 - 03/2025
Title: Oxidative stress and RNA methylation
- R01GM140456 - NIH/NIGMS (PI- Aguiar)
01/2021 - 12/2024
Title: Mitochondrial 2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenases modulate the cellular epitranscriptome
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Publications
- A RET::GRB2 fusion in pheochromocytoma defies the classic paradigm of RET oncogenic fusions
- Cyclic-AMP signalling, MYC and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α intersect to regulate angiogenesis in B-cell lymphoma
- MYC, mitochondrial metabolism and O-GlcNAcylation converge to modulate the activity and subcellular localization of DNA and RNA
- Regulation of PD-L1 expression is a novel facet of cyclic-AMP-mediated immunosuppression
- Functional Characterization of TMEM127 Variants Reveals Novel Insights into Its Membrane Topology and Trafficking
- Generation and characterization of the Eµ-Irf8 mouse model
- MYC Regulation of D2HGDH and L2HGDH Influences the Epigenome and Epitranscriptome
- The tumor suppressor TMEM127 regulates insulin sensitivity in a tissue-specific manner
- A synonymous VHL variant in exon 2 confers susceptibility to familial pheochromocytoma and von Hippel-Lindau disease
- Synergistic Targeting of the Regulatory and Catalytic Subunits of PI3Kδ in Mature B-cell Malignancies
- Biology Informs Treatment Choices in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma
- IDH Mutation, Competitive Inhibition of FTO, and RNA Methylation
- Safety and Pharmacodynamics of the PDE4 Inhibitor Roflumilast in Advanced B-cell Malignancies
- Tenovin-6 inhibits proliferation and survival of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells by blocking autophagy
- Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors have wide-ranging activity in B-cell malignancies
- Recurrent Mutations of Chromatin-Remodeling Genes and Kinase Receptors in Pheochromocytomas and Paragangliomas
- A phosphodiesterase 4B-dependent interplay between tumor cells and the microenvironment regulates angiogenesis in B-cell lymphom
- MicroRNA-124 links p53 to the NF-κB pathway in B-cell lymphomas
- D2HGDH regulates alpha-ketoglutarate levels and dioxygenase function by modulating IDH2
- MicroRNA 155 control of p53 activity is context dependent and mediated by Aicda and Socs1
- A microRNA-mediated regulatory loop modulates NOTCH and MYC oncogenic signals in B- and T-cell malignancies
- Patients with myeloid malignancies bearing PDGFRB fusion genes achieve durable long-term remissions with imatinib
- MicroRNA-155 controls RB phosphorylation in normal and malignant B lymphocytes via the noncanonical TGF-β1/SMAD5 signaling modul
- A capture-sequencing strategy identifies IRF8, EBF1, and APRIL as novel IGH fusion partners in B-cell lymphoma
- In vivo and in vitro oncogenic effects of HIF2A mutations in pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas
- MicroRNAs miR-125a and miR-125b constitutively activate the NF-κB pathway by targeting the tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced p
- Gene set enrichment analysis unveils the mechanism for the phosphodiesterase 4B control of glucocorticoid response in B-cell lym
- The rGel/BLyS fusion toxin inhibits STAT3 signaling via down-regulation of interleukin-6 receptor in diffuse large B-cell lympho
- The rGel/BLyS fusion toxin inhibits diffuse large B-cell lymphoma growth in vitro and in vivo
- Germline mutations in TMEM127 confer susceptibility to pheochromocytoma
- Targeting of SMAD5 links microRNA-155 to the TGF-beta pathway and lymphomagenesis
- Integrity of the CBL gene in mature B-cell malignancies
- Copy number abnormalities, MYC activity, and the genetic fingerprint of normal B cells mechanistically define the microRNA profi
- Rational combined targeting of phosphodiesterase 4B and SYK in DLBCL
- MicroRNAs and deletion of the derivative chromosome 9 in chronic myeloid leukemia
- MicroRNA-155 expression and outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- Coordinated expression of microRNA-155 and predicted target genes in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- The rGel/BLyS fusion toxin specifically targets malignant B cells expressing the BLyS receptors BAFF-R, TACI, and BCMA
- Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor-type O truncated (PTPROt) regulates SYK phosphorylation, proximal B-cell-receptor signalin
- BAL1 and BBAP are regulated by a gamma interferon-responsive bidirectional promoter and are overexpressed in diffuse large B-cel
- B-aggressive lymphoma family proteins have unique domains that modulate transcription and exhibit poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase ac
- Molecular profiling of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma identifies robust subtypes including one characterized by host inflammatory
- The phosphodiesterase PDE4B limits cAMP-associated PI3K/AKT-dependent apoptosis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- Cloning of the t(1;5)(q23;q33) in a myeloproliferative disorder associated with eosinophilia: involvement of PDGFRB and response
- The molecular signature of mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma differs from that of other diffuse large B-cell lymphomas and share
- The BAL-binding protein BBAP and related Deltex family members exhibit ubiquitin-protein isopeptide ligase activity
- Defective DNA-mismatch repair: a potential mediator of leukemogenic susceptibility in therapy-related myelodysplasia and leukemi
- Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma outcome prediction by gene-expression profiling and supervised machine learning
- Analysis of the SDHD gene, the susceptibility gene for familial paraganglioma syndrome (PGL1), in pheochromocytomas
- Identification and characterization of disease-related genes: focus on endocrine neoplasias
- BAL is a novel risk-related gene in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas that enhances cellular migration
- PTPROt: an alternatively spliced and developmentally regulated B-lymphoid phosphatase that promotes G0/G1 arrest
- Consistent fusion of MOZ and TIF2 in AML with inv(8)(p11q13)
- PTEN is inversely correlated with the cell survival factor Akt/PKB and is inactivated via multiple mechanismsin haematological m
- Assignment of the steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1) gene to human chromosome band 2p23
- Aberrant transcripts of the FHIT gene are expressed in normal and leukaemic haemopoietic cells
- Consistent fusion of ZNF198 to the fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 in the t(8;13)(p11;q12) myeloproliferative syndrome
- A novel fusion between MOZ and the nuclear receptor coactivator TIF2 in acute myeloid leukemia
- Therapy-related chronic myeloid leukemia: an epidemiological, clinical and pathogenetic appraisal
- Mutation and expression analysis of the p27/kip1 gene in corticotrophin-secreting tumours
- Characterization of a t(10;12)(q24;p13) in a case of CML in transformation
- Abnormalities of chromosome band 8p11 in leukemia: two clinical syndromes can be distinguished on the basis of MOZ involvement
- The commonly deleted region at 9p21-22 in lymphoblastic leukemias spans at least 400 kb and includes p16 but not p15 or the IFN
- TEL-AML1 fusion in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia of adults. M.R.C. Adult Leukaemia Working Party
- Molecular investigation of secondary chronic myeloid leukemia
- Deletion analysis of the p16 tumour suppressor gene in phaeochromocytomas
- Mutational analysis of the p15 and p16 genes in acute leukaemias
- Molecular and immunohistochemical analysis of P53 in phaeochromocytoma
- Further evidence for the lack of correlation between the breakpoint site within M-BCR and CML prognosis and for the occasional i
- A new myeloproliferative disorder associated with chromosomal translocations involving 8p11: a review
- Myeloproliferative disorder associated with 8p11 translocations
- Secondary chronic myelogenous leukemia: a diverse pathogenesis?
- Granulocytic sarcoma of the ovary in a nonleukemic patient
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Clinical
Board Certifications