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UF Health University of Florida
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine Department of Medicine in the College of Medicine
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Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Serban Lab

Alpha 1 Group

Karina Serban, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
karina.serban@medicine.ufl.edu

Personal Statement

I am a physician-scientist and the medical director of Alpha-1 Research Laboratory at University of Florida. Our laboratory uses 2D and 3D cell culture models, transgenic mice exposed to cigarette smoke, and patient-derived samples to investigate the pathobiology and novel biomarkers in individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema, and Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Our current projects supported by NIH and Alpha-1 Foundation awards focus on innate immune responses in the lungs of COPD and Alpha-1 individuals, with emphasis on the complement cascade and the crosstalk between the airway macrophages and lung epithelium during injury and repair.

Dr. Serban received several awards for her academic activities, including the Inaugural Gordon L Snider Scholar and ALTA awards that supports young investigators to pursue a career in Alpha-1 Deficiency Research. She is a member of numerous professional organizations and serves on program committees for the Alpha-1 Foundation.

Lab Faculty and Staff

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, ALPHA-1 ATD PROGRAM

Tammy Flagg

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Emeritus Professor of Medicine

Mark L. Brantly

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Biological Scientist

Alek Aranyos

I primarily manage models and pre-clinical studies related to Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, while assisting with the processing of clinical research samples.
 
Hobbies: Paddle-boarding, amateur spelunking, and numismatics

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Research Scientist

Jungnam Lee

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Laboratory Technician II

Aidan Griffin

Recent graduate of The University of Florida.

When not at the lab I like to play video games with friends, go for walks around Gainesville, or try new cooking techniques at home.

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Graduate Assistant

Naweed Mohammad

Project: I am examining the effect of Z-AAT polymers on mitochondrial function and metabolism in AATD patients and our novel humanized Z-AAT transgenic mouse model on murine Serpina1Null background (Z-AAT Serpina1Null).
 
Hobbies: Some of my hobbies are watching soccer and movies, reading books, listening to music, playing volleyball, and playing piano.

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Post-Doctoral Associate

Maria Magallon

Study the role of alpha-1 antitrypsin in modulate WNT signaling and its consequences on senescence, AT2 proliferation and differentiation.

Hobbies: My hobbies include exploring nature, hiking and I have passion for dancing, especially salsa.

Maria Magallon Headshot

RN- Alpha 1

Michelle Owens

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Clinical Research Coordinator III

Allison Faunce

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REsearch Support

Ongoing

  • R01 HL166828 Research Project Grant, “Decay Accelerating Factor (CD55) Deficiency Facilitates Lectin Pathway Mediated AT2 Cell Dysfunction in Cigarette Smoke-Induced Emphysema” 01/01/2024 – 12/31/2028
  • Alpha-1 Foundation Ab Rees Fast Track Award, “A1BC: Longitudinal Biomarker Study of Disease – Upper Airway and Plasma Metabolomics” 08/30/2024 – 07/30/2025
  • Alpha-1 Foundation Research Professorship 07/01/2024 –
  • Alpha-1 Foundation DNA and Tissue Bank 01/2020 – 06/2025
  • Alpha-1 Coded Testing (ACT) Study 01/2024 – 06/2027

Completed

  • K08 HL141770 Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08) “Mannose Binding Lectin-Dependent Complement Activation in Emphysema” 10/15/2018 – 11/15/2023
  • Alpha-1 Foundation Research Grant “Mannose-Binding-Lectin function in Alpha-1 Deficiency with Mycobacteria Pulmonary Disease” 07/01/2021 – 06/30/2023
  • National Jewish Health Natalie V. Zucker Award “Decay Accelerating Factor (CD55) is Protective Against Cigarette Smoke (CS) – Induced Lung Epithelial Cell Injury” 01/01/2021 – 12/30/2021
  • Alpha-1 Foundation, Pilot and Feasibility Grant “Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells-Derived Alveolar Macrophages Phenotype and Function in AATD” 07/01/2018 –06/30/2019
  • Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Laurell’s Training Award (ALTA) “Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Increases Mannose Binding Lectin Anti-Inflammatory Function in Lung Macrophages” 9/01/2016 – 8/30/2017
  • Alpha-1 Foundation Gordon L. Snider Scholar Award “Endothelial-Monocyte Interactions Modulated by A1AT” 10/01/2014 – 9/30/2017
  • Alpha-1 Foundation and The CHEST Foundation Clinical Research Award in COPD and Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (ATT) Deficiency “Functional Significance of a Novel Interaction of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin with Circulating Microparticles in COPD” 07/08/2012 –07/08/2013

Publication Highlights

  • Mikosz A, Ni K, Gally F, Pratte KA, Winfree S, Lin Q, Echelman I, Wetmore B, Cao D, Justice MJ, Sandhaus RA, Maier L, Strange C, Bowler RP, Petrache I, Serban KA. Alpha-1 antitrypsin inhibits fractalkine-mediated monocyte-lung endothelial cell interactions. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2023 Oct 10. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00023.2023. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37814796.
  • Serban KA, Pratte KA, Strange C, Sandhaus RA, Turner AM, Beiko T, Spittle DA, Maier L, Hamzeh N, Silverman EK, Hobbs BD, Hersh CP, DeMeo DL, Cho MH, Bowler RP. Unique and shared systemic biomarkers for emphysema in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. EBioMedicine. 2022 Sep 22;84:104262. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104262. PMID: 36155958; PMCID: PMC9507992.
  • Goel K, Serban KA. The multifaceted protease-anti-protease imbalance in COVID-19. EBioMedicine. 2022;78:103973. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103973
  • Goel K, Maleki-Fischbach M, George MP, Kim D, Richards J, Wise RA, Serban KA. A 56-Year-Old Man with Emphysema, Rash, and Arthralgia. Chest. 2021 Nov;160(5):e513-e518. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2021.06.045. PMID: 34743855; PMCID: PMC8727885.
  • I Petrache, KA Serban, Can Metformin downshift the gears of aging to slow emphysema progression? Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2021 Sep 15;204(6):621-622. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202105-1273ED. PMID: 34191690.
  • KA Serban, KA Pratte, RP. Bowler, Protein biomarkers for COPD outcomes, CHEST, 2021 Jan 9, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2021.01.004
  • Berdyshev EV, Serban KA, Schweitzer KS, et al Ceramide and sphingosine-1 phosphate in COPD lungs, Thorax, Published Online First: 29 January 2021. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215892.
  • Schweitzer, K; Crue, T; Nall, J; Foster, D; Sajuthi, S; Correll, K; Nakamura, M; Everman, J; Seibold, M; Bridges, J; Serban, K; Downey, G; Chu, H; Petrache, I, Influenza virus infection increases ACE2 expression and shedding in human small airway epithelial cells, Eur Respir J 2021, doi.org/10.1183/13993003.03988-2020.
  • Serban KA, Mikosz A, Strange C, Janciauskiene SM, Stolk J, Jonigk D, Sandhaus RA, Petrache I. Lectin Complement Pathway in Emphysema, Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2019 Mar 1;199(5):659-661. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201807-1380LE, PMID: 30557515.
  • Serban KA, Rezania S, Petrusca DN, Poirier C, Cao D, Justice MJ, Patel M, Tsvetkova I, Kamocki K, Van Demark M, Schweitzer KS, Cardoso A, Carlesso N, Hubbard WC, Dragnea B, Berdyshev EV, McClintock J, and Petrache I, “Structural and functional characterization of endothelial microparticles released by cigarette smoke”, Sci Rep. 2016 Aug 17;6:31596, PMID: 27530098.

For a complete list of publications, click here.

Projects

Alpha 1 News

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