Harvard University | Graduate School of Arts and Sciences | Harvard Medical School | Division of Medical Sciences

BBS Faculty Member - Charles Serhan

Charles Serhan

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, HSDM

Brigham and Women's Hospital
HIM Building, Room 829
77 Avenue Louis Pasteur
Boston, MA 02115
Tel: 617-525-5001
Fax: 617-525-5017
Email: cnserhan@zeus.bwh.harvard.edu
Lab Members: 6 postdoctoral fellows, 1 assistant professor, 1 instructor
Visit my lab page here.

Research in the Serhan laboratory focuses on structural elucidation of bioactive small molecules that regulate acute inflammation and its natural resolution. Our overall mission is “To identify novel mediators, pathways, and cellular targets critical in promoting resolution of inflammation and reperfusion tissue injury and their relation to human disease.” Our studies currently focus on structural elucidation of novel molecules and pathways that serve as pro-resolving and/or endogenous anti-inflammatory chemical signals.

We elucidated several new families of lipid-derived, local-acting chemical mediators, coined the Resolvins and Protectins, and most recently Maresins, that stimulate resolution of inflammatory responses. We also designed novel therapeutic approaches using these structures as biotemplates. New therapeutic approaches built with the knowledge of these signaling pathways could be more potent, selective and better tolerated since they are based on structures naturally evolved in these processes. Several of these new designer therapeutics have already been shown to be effective in human disease.

Last Update: 8/22/2013

Publications

For a complete listing of publications click here.

Chiang N, Fredman G, Bäckhed F, Oh SF, Vickery T, Schmidt BA, Serhan CN. Infection regulates pro-resolving mediators that lower antibiotic requirements. Nature 2012; 484:524-28

Xu Z-Z, Zhang L, Liu T, Park J-Y, Berta T, Yang R, Serhan CN, Ji R-R. Resolvins RvE1 and RvD1 attenuate inflammatory pain via central and peripheral actions. Nat Med. 2010; 16:592-7.

Recchiuti A, Krishnamoorthy S, Fredman G, Chiang N, Serhan CN. MicroRNAs in resolution of acute inflammation: identification of novel resolvin D1-miRNA circuits. FASEB J 2011; 25:544-60.

Serhan CN, Petasis NA. Resolvins and protectins in inflammation-resolution. Thematic issue on Lipid Biochemistry, Metabolism, and Signaling. Chem Rev. 2011; 111:5922-43.