Evgenia Gerasimovskaya, PhD

Research Interests

My research interests include purinergic signaling pathways in vascular cells, molecular mechanisms of hypoxia-induced ATP (adenosine triphosphate) release, and metabolism of extracellular ATP by ecto-nucleotidases. I also investigate the mechanisms of hypoxic activation of heterotrimeric G proteins, intracellular kinases, as well as Egr-1 transcription factor.

Publications

• Stenmark KR, Yeager ME, El Kasmi KC, Nozik-Grayck E, Gerasimovskaya EV, Li M, Riddle SR, Frid MG. The Adventitia: Essential Regulator of Vascular Wall Structure and Function. Annu Rev Physiol. 2012 Dec 3. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 23216413
• Gerasimovskaya E, Kratzer A, Sidiakova A, Salys J, Zamora M, Taraseviciene-Stewart L. Interplay of macrophages and T cells in the lung vasculature. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2012 May 15;302(10):L1014-22. PubMed PMID: 22387295
• Anwar A, Li M, Frid MG, Kumar B, Gerasimovskaya EV, Riddle SR, McKeon BA, Thukaram R, Meyrick BO, Fini MA, Stenmark KR. Osteopontin is an endogenous modulator of the constitutively activated phenotype of pulmonary adventitial fibroblasts in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2012 Jul 1;303(1):L1-L11. PubMed PMID: 22582113
• Kratzer A, Salys J, Sévigny J, Gerasimovskaya E.V. Zamora M, Taraseviciene-Stewart, L. CD39/CD73-mediated immune responses in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (Abstract), Lung Aspen Conference, June 2012, Aspen CO
• Nijmeh H, Balasubramaniam V, Burns N, Stenmark KR, Gerasimovskaya EV. P2Y13 Purinergic Receptors Are Expressed in a Subset of Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Contribute to Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Artery Vasa Vasorum Neovascularization, Purines 2012, Fukuoka, Japan, 2012. (Abstract)
• Umapathy NS, Kaczmarek E, Lucas R, Stenmark KR, Verin A., Gerasimovskaya EV. A1 receptors-mediated enhancement of barrier function in vasa vasorum endothelial cells. ATS, San Francisco, May 2012. (Abstract book)
• Nijmeh H, Balasubramaniam V, Burns N, Stenmark KR, Gerasimovskaya EV. P2Y13 Purinergic Receptors Are Expressed in a Subset of Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Contribute to Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Artery Vasa Vasorum Neovascularization, Keystone Symposia "Pulmonary Vascular Disaease and Right Ventricular Dysfunction", Monterey, 2012. (Abstract)
• Umapathy, N. S, Kaczamarek E., Fatteh N., Burns, N., Lucas, R, Stenmark, K.R., Verin,1 A.D., and Gerasimovskaya, E.V. Adenosine A1 receptors promote vasa vasorum endothelial cell barrier integrity via Gi and Akt-dependent actin cytoskeleton remodeling, PLoS ONE, resubmitted).
• Nijmeh H, Balasubramaniam V, Burns N, Ahmad A, Stenmark KR, Gerasimovskaya EV. High proliferative potential endothelial colony forming cells contribute to hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery vasa vasorum neovascularization. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2014 Feb 7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 24508729
• Umapathy SN, Kaczmarek E, Fatteh N, Burns N, Lucas R, Stenmark KR, Verin AD, Gerasimovskaya EV. Adenosine A1 receptors promote vasa vasorum endothelial cell barrier integrity via Gi and Akt-dependent actin cytoskeleton remodeling. PLoS One. 2013;8(4):e59733. PubMed PMID: 23613714
• Stenmark KR, Yeager ME, El Kasmi KC, Nozik-Grayck E, Gerasimovskaya EV, Li M, Riddle SR, Frid MG. The adventitia: essential regulator of vascular wall structure and function. Annu Rev Physiol. 2013;75:23-47. PubMed PMID: 23216413
• Nijmeh H, Balasubramaniam V, Burns N, Ahmad A, Stenmark KR, Gerasimovskaya EV. High proliferative potential endothelial colony-forming cells contribute to hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery vasa vasorum neovascularization. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2014 Apr 1;306(7):L661-71. PubMed PMID: 24508729
• Lapel M, Paucek P, Lyubchenko T, Burns N, Stenmark KR, and Gerasimovskaya EV. Role of purinergic signaling and hypoxia in cellular bioenergetics and angiogenic responses of pulmonary artery vasa vasorum endothelial cells “Purines 2014: Nucleotides, Nucleosides and Nucleobases” International conference on Signaling, drug and targets. Bonn, Germany, 2014. Abstract book, p.242-243, #H143.
• Lapel M, Paucek P, Lyubchenko T, Philip Weston, Stenmark KR, and Gerasimovskaya EV. Regulation of bioenergetics and angiogenic response in vasa vasorum endothelial cells by extracellular purines and hypoxia. Keystone Symposia “Intergating metabolism and tumor biology”. 2014, Vancouver, Canada, Abstract book, p.83, #1056.
• Kurt R. Stenmark, K.R., Pugliese, S.C., Poth, J., Frid, M.G., Gerasimovskaya, E., Nozik-Grayck, E., El Kasmi, K.C. The Effects of Chronic Hypoxia on Inflammation and Pulmonary Vascular Function. In Pulmonary hypertension: Basic Science to Clinical Medicine, Springer, B.A Maron at al. (eds.) 2015, pp 83-103.
• Lapel M, Paucek P, Lyubchenko T, Weston P, Stenmark KR, and Gerasimovskaya EV. Regulation of bioenergetics and angiogenic response in vasa vasorum endothelial cells by extracellular purines and hypoxia. Keystone Symposia “Integrating metabolism and tumor biology”. 2015, Vancouver, Canada, Abstract book, p.83, #1056.
• Umapathy NS, Kaczmarek E, Taraseviciene L, Lapel, M, Weston P, Fragoso M, Moldovan R, Stenmark KR, Verin AD, and Gerasimovskaya EV. Unexpected role of A1 Adenosine receptors: enhancement of vasa vasorum endothelial cell barrier function via Gi and Akt-dependent pathways. II International Congress on Purinergic Signaling in South America, Abstract #20 – 5th Meeting of the Brazilian Purine Club, May 29-June 2, 2015, Maresias, Brazil.
• Regulation of bioenergetics and angiogenic responses in vasa vasorum endothelial cells by extracellular purines and hypoxia Martin Lapel1, Petr Paucek2, Philip Weston1, Nana Burns1, Taras Lyubchenko3#, Derek Strassheim1, Kurt R. Stenmark1, and Evgenia V. Gerasimovskaya1* APS Conference “Physiological Bioenergetics: from Bench to Bedside”, September 2015, Tampa.
• Regulation of bioenergetics and angiogenic responses in vasa vasorum endothelial cells by extracellular purines and hypoxia Martin Lapel1, Petr Paucek2, Philip Weston1, Nana Burns1, Taras Lyubchenko3#, Derek Strassheim1, Kurt R. Stenmark1, and Evgenia V. Gerasimovskaya1*
• Lapel M, Weston P, Strassheim D, Karoor V, Burns N, Lyubchenko T, Paucek P, Stenmark KR, Gerasimovskaya EV. Glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation are essential for purinergic receptor-mediated angiogenic responses in vasa vasorum endothelial cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2017 Jan 1;312(1):C56-C70. PubMed PMID: 27856430
• Mechanisms of Adenosine A1 Receptor-Mediated Enhancement of Vasa Vasorum Endothelial Cell Barrier Function Batori, R., Kasa, A., Shaw, M., Kumar, S., Taraseviciene, L., Lapel, M., Weston, P., Fragoso, M., Moldovan, R., Stenmark, K. R., Verin, A. D., and Gerasimovskaya, E. V.
• Wyborny A, Choe A, Traktinkiy I, Gerasimovskaya E, Gilde D, Nagel MA Specific Purinoreceptors Modulate VZV Infection in Human Brian Vascular Adventitial Fibroblasts
• Helenius M, Zuccarini M, Gerasimovskaya E, Tallgren CS, Heinonen I, Jalkanen S, Koskenvuo J, Alastalo T-P, and . Yegutkin GG Acute hypoxia activates ATP turnover in vascular endothelial cells via modulation of extracellular and intracellular purine-converting pathways
• Mehdi A. Fini1,2,3 *, Jenifer A. Monks4, Min Li3, Maria G. Frid3, Evgenia V. Gerasimovskaya3, Petr Paucek3, Ruby Fernandez5, Steven C. Pugliese2, Donna Bratton5, William Janssen2,5, Richard Scarpulla6, Michael Karin7, Kurt R. Stenmark3 , and Richard M. Wright1,2, Macrophage Xanthine Oxidoreductase Links LPS Induced Lung Inflammatory Injury to NLRP3 Inflammasome Expression and Mitochondrial Respiration
• Lapel M, Weston P, Strassheim D, Karoor V, Burns N, Lyubchenko T, Paucek P, Stenmark KR, Gerasimovskaya EV. Glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation are essential for purinergic receptor-mediated angiogenic responses in vasa vasorum endothelial cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2017 Jan 1;312(1):C56-C70. PubMed PMID: 27856430
• "Adenosine as a positive regulator of vasa vasorum barrier function in PAH" Robert Batori, Mary Shaw, Vijaya Karoor, Derek Strassheim, Miguel Fragoso, Kurt R Stenmark, Evgenia Gerasimovskaya, Alexander Verin
• Karoor V, Fini MA, Loomis Z, Sullivan T, Hersh LB, Gerasimovskaya E, Irwin D, Dempsey EC. Sustained Activation of Rho GTPases Promotes a Synthetic Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype in Neprilysin Null Mice. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2018 Jan;38(1):154-163. PubMed PMID: 29191928
• "HDAC Inhibitor Butyrate Cooperates with A1 and A2B Receptors to Attenuate Pulmonary Artery Vasa Vasorum Remodeling in Hypoxia" Vijaya Karoor, Derek Strassheim, Petr Paucek, Philip Weston, Robert Batori, Mary Shaw, Timothy Sullivan, Miguel Fragoso, Kurt R Stenmark, Alexander Verin, and Evgenia Gerasimovskaya
• Losenkova K, Zuccarini M, Helenius M, Jacquemet G, Gerasimovskaya E, Tallgren C, Jalkanen S, Yegutkin GG. Endothelial cells cope with hypoxia-induced depletion of ATP via activation of cellular purine turnover and phosphotransfer networks. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2018 May;1864(5 Pt A):1804-1815. PubMed PMID: 29514048
• Karoor V, Fini MA, Loomis Z, Sullivan T, Hersh LB, Gerasimovskaya E, Irwin D, Dempsey EC. Sustained Activation of Rho GTPases Promotes a Synthetic Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype in Neprilysin Null Mice. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2018 Jan;38(1):154-163. PubMed PMID: 29191928
• Derek Strassheim, Vijaya Karoor, Kurt Stenmark, Alexander Verin, Evgenia Gerasimovskaya A current view of G protein-coupled receptor - mediated signaling in pulmonary hypertension: finding opportunities for therapeutic intervention Strassheim et al. Vessel Plus 2018;2:29 DOI: 10.20517/2574-1209.2018.44
• Derek Strassheim, Edward Dempsey, Evgenia Gerasimovskaya, Kurt Stenmark, Vijaya Karoor "Role of Innate and Adaptive, Resident and Infiltrating Immune Cells in Heart Failure" Journal of Immunology (submitted)
• Derek Strassheim, Vijaya Karoor, Timothy Sullivan, Petr Paucek, Anita Kovacs-Kasa, Alexander Verin, Kurt Stenmark and Evgenia Gerasimovskaya "Multi-modal short chain fatty acid, butyrate, is therapeutic in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension" (ATS abstract)
• Strassheim D, Dempsey EC, Gerasimovskaya E, Stenmark K, Karoor V. Role of Inflammatory Cell Subtypes in Heart Failure. J Immunol Res. 2019;2019:2164017. PubMed PMID: 31565659
• Strassheim D, Gerasimovskaya E, Irwin D, Dempsey EC, Stenmark K, Karoor V. RhoGTPase in Vascular Disease. Cells. 2019 Jun 6;8(6). PubMed PMID: 31174369
• Strassheim D, Karoor V, Sullivan T, Paucek P, Kovacs-Kasa A, Verin A, Stenmark KR, and Gerasimovskaya, E. Multi-Modal Short Chain Fatty Acid, Butyrate, is Therapeutic in Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension ATS, Dallas, 2019 (Abstract #B108)
• Verin A, Batori R, Kovacs-Kasa A, Cherian-Shaw, M, Kumar, S, Karoor, Strassheim D, Fragoso M, Stenmark KR, Gerasimovskaya E. Adenosine improves pulmonary artery vasa vasorum barrier function in PH via atypical Gi-mediated signaling mechanisms. ATS, Dallas, 2019 (Abstract #P346).
• Strassheim D, Karoor V, Hala N, Weston P, Lapel M, Schack J, Stenmark KR, and Gerasimovskaya EV. Extracellular ATP regulates angiogenic responses in vasa vasorum endothelial cells via the activation of PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling axis and c-Jun, FOXO3A, and C-Myc transcription factors; 1st European Purine Meeting, Santiago De Compostela, September 4-6, 2019.
• Strassheim D, Karoor V, Sullivan T, Paucek P, Kovacs-Kasa A, Verin A, Stenmark KR, and Gerasimovskaya, E. Multi-Modal Short Chain Fatty Acid, Butyrate, is Therapeutic in Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension Aspen Lung Conference, Aspen, 2019.
• Vijaya Karoor, Derek Strassheim, Robert Batori, Anita Kovacs-Kasa, Timothy Sullivan, Radu Moldovan, Dwight Klemm, Kurt R Stenmark, Alexander Verin, and Evgenia Gerasimovskaya HDAC Inhibitor Butyrate Cooperates with A1 and A2B Receptors to Attenuate Pulmonary Artery Vasa Vasorum Dysfunction in Hypoxia
• Strassheim D, Verin A, Batori R, Nijmeh H, Burns N, Kovacs-Kasa A, Umapathy NS, Kotamarthi J, Gokhale YS, Karoor V, Stenmark KR, Gerasimovskaya E. P2Y Purinergic Receptors, Endothelial Dysfunction, and Cardiovascular Diseases. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Sep 18;21(18). PubMed PMID: 32962005
• Verin AD, Batori R, Kovacs-Kasa A, Cherian-Shaw M, Kumar S, Czikora I, Karoor V, Strassheim D, Stenmark KR, Gerasimovskaya EV. Extracellular adenosine enhances pulmonary artery vasa vasorum endothelial cell barrier function via Gi/ELMO1/Rac1/PKA-dependent signaling mechanisms. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2020 Jul 1;319(1):C183-C193. PubMed PMID: 32432925
• Strassheim D, Karoor V, Nijmeh H, Weston P, Lapel M, Schaack J, Sullivan T, Dempsey EC, Stenmark KR, Gerasimovskaya E. c-Jun, Foxo3a, and c-Myc Transcription Factors are Key Regulators of ATP-Mediated Angiogenic Responses in Pulmonary Artery Vasa Vasorum Endothelial Cells. Cells. 2020 Feb 11;9(2). PubMed PMID: 32054096
• Strassheim D, Karoor V, Sullivan T, Paucek P, Kovacs-Kasa A, Verin A, Stenmark KR, and Gerasimovskaya, E. Multi-Modal Short Chain Fatty Acid, Butyrate, is Therapeutic in Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension; UCD, Annual Pediatric Research Poster Session, May 2019.
• Stenmark KR, Frid MG, Gerasimovskaya E, Zhang H, McCarthy MK, Thurman JM, Morrison TE. Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-induced lung vascular disease: potential role of complement. Pulm Circ. 2021 Apr-Jun;11(2):20458940211015799. PubMed PMID: 34046161
• Verin AD, Batori, R, Kovacs-Kasa A, Cherian-Shaw M, Kumar S, Czikora I, Karoor V, Strassheim D, Stenmark, KR, and Gerasimovskaya, EV. Extracellular adenosine enhances pulmonary artery vasa vasorum endothelium barrier function via the Gi/ELMO1/Rac1/PKA-dependent signaling mechanisms, ALP-Cell Physiology, 2019 (in revision).
• Strassheim, D., Karoor, V., Hala, N., Weston, P., Lapel, M., Schack, J., Stenmark, K.R., and Gerasimovskaya E.V. “c-Jun, Foxo3a and c-Myc transcription factors are key regulators of ATP-mediated angiogenic responses in VVEC” Cells, 2019 (in revision).
• Karoor V, Strassheim D, Sullivan T, Verin A, Umapathy NS, Dempsey EC, Frank DN, Stenmark KR, Gerasimovskaya E. The Short-Chain Fatty Acid Butyrate Attenuates Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling and Inflammation in Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Sep 14;22(18). PubMed PMID: 34576081
• Derek Strassheim, Timothy Sullivan, David C. Irwin, Evgenia Gerasimovskaya, Tim Lahm, Dwight J. Klemm, Edward C. Dempsey, Kurt R. Stenmark, and Vijaya Karoor. Metabolite G-Protein Coupled Receptors in Cardio-Metabolic Diseases. Cells 2021, 10, 3347
• Parinandi N, Gerasimovskaya E, Verin A. Editorial: Molecular mechanisms of lung endothelial permeability. Front Physiol. 2022;13:976873. PubMed PMID: 35936898
• Alexander Verin, Liselle Simon, Mary Cherian-Shaw, Derek Strassheim, Vijaya Karoor, Cheng-Jun Hu, Kurt R. Stenmark, Evgenia Gerasimovskaya "Short-chain fatty acid butyrate promotes vasa vasorum endothelial cell barrier protection: potential role of epigenetic and signaling mechanisms"
• Fini Mehdi, Petr Paucek, Angelo D’Alessandro, Julie Haines, Philip Weston, Kurt R. Stenmark, Evgenia Gerasimovskaya "Short-chain fatty acid butyrate is a metabolic and bioenergetic regulator of pulmonary artery vasa vasorum endothelial cells" Fini Mehdi, Petr Paucek, Angelo D’Alessandro, Julie Haines, Philip Weston, Kurt R. Stenmark, Evgenia Gerasimovskaya
• Nana Burns, Hala Nijmeh, Martin Lapel, Suzette Riddle, Gennady G. Yegutkin, Kurt R Stenmark, and Evgenia Gerasimovskaya* "Isolation of vasa vasorum endothelial cells from pulmonary artery adventitia: implementation to vascular biology research" Microvascular Research (in revision)
• Hui Zhang, Evgenia Gerasimovskaya, Mary K. McCarthy, Nicholas A. May, Riddle, Suzette, B. Alexandre McKeon, Ram Raj Prasad, Cheng-Jun Hu, Thomas E. Morrison, Kurt R. Stenmark "Local complement contributes to pathogenic activation of lung endothelial cells in SARS-CoV-2" American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology (in revision)
• Fini, M.A., Monks, J.A. Li, M., Gerasimovskaya, E., Paucek, P., Wang, K., Frid, M.G., Pugliese, S.C., Bratton, D., Janssen, W., Scarpulla, R., Karin, M., Wright, R.M., Stenmark, K.R. Macrophage Xanthine Oxidoreductase Links LPS Induced Lung Inflammatory Injury to NLRP3 Inflammasome Expression and Mitochondrial Respiration Cell Reports, 2022 (in revision)
• Angelo D’Alessandro, Hui Zhang, Min Li, Julie A. Reisz, Sarah Gehrke, Suzette Riddle, Kenneth L. Jones,Chien-nien Chen, Akshay Muralidhar, Todd Bull, Karim C. El Kasmi, Evgenia Gerasimovskaya , Lan Zhao, Kurt R. Stenmark "Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Synergize with Sildenafil to Suppress Purine Metabolism and Proliferation of Pulmonary Artery Fibroblasts of Hypertensive Patients" Vascular Pharmacology (in preparation)
• Hui Zhang, Evgenia Gerasimovskaya, Mary K. McCarthy, Nicholas A. May, Riddle, Suzette, B. Alexandre McKeon, Ram Raj Prasad, Cheng-Jun Hu, Thomas E. Morrison, Kurt R. Stenmark "Local complement contributes to pathogenic activation of lung endothelial cells in SARS-CoV-2" American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology (ATS abstract)
• Fini MA, Monks JA, Li M, Gerasimovskaya E, Paucek P, Wang K, Frid MG, Pugliese SC, Bratton D, Yu YR, Irwin D, Karin M, Wright RM, Stenmark KR. Macrophage Xanthine Oxidoreductase Links LPS Induced Lung Inflammatory Injury to NLRP3 Inflammasome Expression and Mitochondrial Respiration. bioRxiv. 2023 Jul 21. PubMed PMID: 37502951
• Zhang H, Gerasimovskaya E, McCarthy MK, May NA, Prasad RR, Riddle S, McKeon BA, Kumar S, Li M, Hu CJ, Frid MG, Morrison TE, Stenmark KR. Local Complement Contributes to Pathogenic Activation of Lung Endothelial Cells in SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2023 Aug;69(2):210-219. PubMed PMID: 37071849
• Zhang H, D'Alessandro A, Li M, Reisz JA, Riddle S, Muralidhar A, Bull T, Zhao L, Gerasimovskaya E, Stenmark KR. Histone deacetylase inhibitors synergize with sildenafil to suppress purine metabolism and proliferation in pulmonary hypertension. Vascul Pharmacol. 2023 Apr;149:107157. PubMed PMID: 36849042
• Burns N, Nijmeh H, Lapel M, Riddle S, Yegutkin GG, Stenmark KR, Gerasimovskaya E. Isolation of vasa vasorum endothelial cells from pulmonary artery adventitia: Implementation to vascular biology research. Microvasc Res. 2023 May;147:104479. PubMed PMID: 36690271

Practice Locations

Hospital Affiliation

• Children's Hospital Colorado