Thompson Lab’s Ronak Tilvawala presents at 24th Annual Research Retreat

Ronak Tilvawala, PhD, postdoc fellow in the Thompson Lab, presented a talk titled “The Role of SERPIN Citrullination in Thrombosis” during the 24th Annual Research Retreat held on October 17, 2019.

Below is a summary of her exciting talk. 

Aberrant protein citrullination is associated with many pathological conditions, including autoimmune diseases and cancer. However, the specific effects of this modification remain mostly unknown. We previously identified the RA-associated citrullinome and demonstrated that serine protease inhibitors (SERPINs) are highly citrullinated in RA patients. SERPINs regulate the coagulation and fibrinolysis cascades. Here, we show that how SERPIN citrullination can alter coagulation and fibrinolysis cascades, resulting in abnormal thrombosis. These data reconcile two long standing observations, that both protein citrullination and thrombosis are elevated in autoimmunity and indicate that aberrant SERPIN citrullination promotes pathological thrombus formation.

If you’d like more details about Thompson Lab's research, please visit Dr. Paul Thompson’s website - www.umassmed.edu/thompson