Romulo Hurtado
roh2002@med.cornell.edu
Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology Research in Surgery
Myogenic, or involuntary, muscle activity is essential for normal function of vital visceral organs, including those of the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and genitourinary systems. The focus of my research is to better understand the mechanism controlling normal and pathological myogenic muscle contractility. I currently use two clinically relevant model systems: the heart and the upper urinary tract (UUT). Indeed, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, whereas congenital UUT abnormalities are the most commonly observed birth defects in newborns. For my studies of the cardiac system, I am using human pluripotent stems cells as a platform to study cardiac conduction system development, and to elucidate novel diagnostics and therapies for cardiac dysrhythmias. In the UUT, I’ve developed novel live imaging techniques to study the pacemaker mechanisms triggering autonomic contractions, in both lower order and higher order mammals. Strikingly, my studies have revealed that several ion channels known to regulate cardiac pacemaker activity, including T-type calcium and HCN ion channels, also regulate UUT pacemaker activity. I was recently awarded an NIH R21 grant to expand on my ion channel findings in the UUT.
roh2002@med.cornell.edu
Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology Research in Surgery
Myogenic, or involuntary, muscle activity is essential for normal function of vital visceral organs, including those of the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and genitourinary systems. The focus of my research is to better understand the mechanism controlling normal and pathological myogenic muscle contractility. I currently use two clinically relevant model systems: the heart and the upper urinary tract (UUT). Indeed, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, whereas congenital UUT abnormalities are the most commonly observed birth defects in newborns. For my studies of the cardiac system, I am using human pluripotent stems cells as a platform to study cardiac conduction system development, and to elucidate novel diagnostics and therapies for cardiac dysrhythmias. In the UUT, I’ve developed novel live imaging techniques to study the pacemaker mechanisms triggering autonomic contractions, in both lower order and higher order mammals. Strikingly, my studies have revealed that several ion channels known to regulate cardiac pacemaker activity, including T-type calcium and HCN ion channels, also regulate UUT pacemaker activity. I was recently awarded an NIH R21 grant to expand on my ion channel findings in the UUT.
Education
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PhD
BS |
Weill Cornell Graduate School
The City University of New York |
Publications
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2018
2017 2016 2014 2010 2007 2006 2004 |
Welsh, I.C., Hart, J., Brown, J., Marques, M. R., Aho, R. J., Grishina, I., Hurtado, R., Herzlinger, D., Ferretti, E., Garcia-Garcia, M., Selleri, L. (2018) Pbx loss in cranial neural crest, unlike in epithelium, results in Cleft Palate Only and a broader midface. Undergoing revisions requested by reviewers, Journal of Anatomy.
Farber, G., Hurtado, R., Scott, R., Loh, S., Mtui, J., Manova, K., Kopan, R., Quaggin, S., Meyer-Schwesinger, C., Herzlinger, D., Blobel, C. (2018) ADAM10 in endothelial cells regulates the maturation of glomerular fenestra. Angiogenesis Feb. 8, Epub ahead of print. PMID: 29397483 Lacko, L., Hurtado, R., Hinds, S., Poulos, M.G., Butler, J.M., Gale, N.W., Stuhlmann, H. (2017) Altered feto-placental vascularization, placental malperfusion, and fetal growth restriction in mice with Egfl7 loss-of-function. Development 144, 2469-2479. PMID: 28526753 Hurtado*, R., and Smith, C. (2016) Hyperpolarization-activated cation and T-type calcium ion channel expression in porcine and human renal pacemaker tissues. Journal of Anatomy 228 (5), 812-825. *CORRESPONDING AUTHOR. PMID: 26805464 Hurtado, R., Zewdu, R., Mtui, J., Liang, C., Aho, R., Kurylo, C., Selleri, L., Herzlinger, D. (2015) Pbx1-dependent control of VMC differentiation kinetics underlies gross renal vascular patterning. Development 142, 2653-2664. PMID: 26138478 Herzlinger, D., Hurtado, R. (2014) Patterning of the Renal vascular bed. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 36, 50-56. PMID: 25128732 Lacko, L. A., Massimiani, M., Sones, J. L., Hurtado, R., Salvi, S., Ferrazzani, S., Davisson, R. L., Campagnolo, L., Stuhlmann, H. (2014) Novel expression of EGFL7 in placental trophoblast and endothelial cells and its implication in preeclampsia. Mech. Dev. 133, 163-76. PMID: 24751645 Hurtado, R., Bub, G., and Herzlinger, D. (2014) A molecular signature of tissues with pacemaker activity in the heart and upper urinary tract involves coexpressed hyperpolarization-activated cation and T-type Ca2+ channels. FASEB J. 28 (2), 730-739. PMID: 24189942 Hurtado, R., Bub, G., and Herzlinger, D. (2010) The pelvis-kidney junction contains HCN3, a hyperpolarization-activated cation channel that triggers ureter peristalsis. Kidney International 77, 500-508. *COVER ARTICLE. PMID: 20032965 Ishii, Y., Langberg, J. D., Hurtado, R., Lee, S., and Mikawa, T. (2007) Induction of proepicardial marker gene expression by the liver bud. Development 134, 3627-3637. PMID: 17855432 Brenner-Anantharam, A., Cebrian, C., Guilaume, R., Hurtado, R., Sun, T., and Herzlinger, D. (2007) Tailbud-derived mesenchyme promotes urinary tract segmentation via BMP4 signaling. Development 134, 1967-1975. PMID: 17442697 Mikawa, T., and Hurtado, R. (2007) Development of the cardiac conduction system. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 18, 90-100. PMID: 17289407 Hurtado, R., and Mikawa, T. (2006) Enhanced sensitivity and stability in two-color in situ hybridization via a novel chromagenic substrate combination. Developmental Dynamics 235, 2811-2816. PMID: 16894600 Hall, C.*, Hurtado, R.*, Hewett, K.*, Shulimovich, M.*, Poma, C. P.*, Reckova, M., Justus, C., Pennisi, D., Tobita, K., Sedmera, D., Gourdie, R. G., and Mikawa, T. (2004) Hemodynamic-dependent patterning of endothelin converting enzyme-1 expression and differentiation of impulse-conducting Purkinje Fibers in the embryonic heart. Development 131, 581-592. *These authors contributed equally. PMID: 14711873 |