Our Faculty
Debra L Laskin, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute
Rutgers University
Room 002
160 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Work Phone: 848-445-5862 (office)
Work Email:
Research Areas
The overall focus of our research is immunotoxicology. We are particularly interested in inflammatory mechanisms of tissue injury. Our focus is on macrophages. Although the involvement of macrophages in protecting against invading pathogens and tumor cells is well documented, studies from my laboratory have demonstrated that macrophages also have a “dark side”. Thus they can be activated to release excessive quantities of proinflammatory and cytotoxic mediators that actually promote tissue injury. An analysis of this process represents the main focus of our research. Two rodent models are being utilized to investigate the role of macrophages and inflammatory mediators in toxicity: the lung and the liver. In each of these tissues, we found that exposure of animals to xenobiotics is associated with localized accumulation of macrophages. Moreover, macrophages isolated from the lung or liver of animals treated with tissue specific toxicants like acetaminophen or ozone are “activated” to release increased quantities of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, nitric oxide and superoxide anion. To analyze the role of these cytotoxic mediators in toxicity, both pharmacologic inhibitors and transgenic mice are being utilized. Another aspect of our studies is to elucidate biochemical mechanisms mediating macrophage activation in the liver and the lung. This has involved investigations on signaling molecules and transcription factors. Much of our research has taken advantage of new technological developments in biochemistry, molecular biology and flow cytometry/image analysis
Research Highlights
- Demonstrated that macrophages and inflammatory contribute to tissue injury induced by diverse pulmonary and hepatic toxicants
- Discovered that pulmonary injury induced by ozone is mediated by cytotoxic reactive nitrogen species
- Demonstrated that macrophage derived tumor necrosis factor –alpha plays a key role in both tissue injury and tissue repair
- Identified distinct macrophage subpopulations that play unique role in tissue injury and tissue repair
Recent Awards and Honors
- Society of Toxicology Education Award (2017)
- Society of Toxicology, Inhalation and Respiratory Specialty Section Career Investigator Award (2015)
- Society of Toxicology, Women in Toxicology Mentoring Award (2014)
- Rutgers University Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research (2009)
- Rutgers University Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research (2009)
- Dermatology Specialty Section, Society of Toxicology, “Paper of the Year” Award (2009)
- Named Roy Bowers Endowed Chair, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy (2007
Scholarly Activities
- Vice Chair-elect: Inhalation and Respiratory Specialty Section, Society of Toxicology (2016-present)
- Chair, Toxicology Division, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (2014-2015)
- Member, NIH Systemic Injury by Environmental Exposure (SIEE) Reveiw Panel (2013-present)
- Deputy Director NIEHS Center for Environmental Exposures and Disease (2009-present)
- Associate Editor, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology (2001-present)
- Director Flow Cytometry/Cell Sorting and Confocal Microscopy Core Facility, EOHSI (1986-present)
Recent Publications
- Jan, YH, Heck, DE, An, Y, Laskin, DL, Laskin, JD. Nitrogen Mustard Alkylates and Cross-Links p53 in Human Keratinocytes. Chem Res Toxicol. 2022;35 (4):636-650. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.1c00420. PubMed PMID:35312310
- Carnino, JM, Lee, H, Smith, LC, Sunil, VR, Rancourt, RC, Vayas, K, Cervelli, J, Kwok, ZH, Ni, K, Laskin, JD et al.. Microvesicle-Derived miRNAs Regulate Proinflammatory Macrophage Activation in the Lung Following Ozone Exposure. Toxicol Sci. 2022;187 (1):162-174. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfac025. PubMed PMID:35201360 PubMed Central PMC9041552
- Malaviya, R, Bellomo, A, Abramova, E, Croutch, CR, Roseman, J, Tuttle, R, Peters, E, Casillas, RP, Sunil, VR, Laskin, JD et al.. Pulmonary injury and oxidative stress in rats induced by inhaled sulfur mustard is ameliorated by anti-tumor necrosis factor-α antibody. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2021;428 :115677. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2021.115677. PubMed PMID:34390737 PubMed Central PMC8452183
- Joseph, LB, Gordon, MK, Kang, J, Croutch, CR, Zhou, P, Heck, DE, Laskin, DL, Laskin, JD. Characterization of the rabbit conjunctiva: Effects of sulfur mustard. Exp Mol Pathol. 2021;121 :104656. doi: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2021.104656. PubMed PMID:34081961 PubMed Central PMC9006340
- Venosa, A, Smith, LC, Gow, AJ, Zarbl, H, Laskin, JD, Laskin, DL. Macrophage activation in the lung during the progression of nitrogen mustard induced injury is associated with histone modifications and altered miRNA expression. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2021;423 :115569. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2021.115569. PubMed PMID:33971176 PubMed Central PMC8496734
- Venosa, A, Gow, JG, Taylor, S, Golden, TN, Murray, A, Abramova, E, Malaviya, R, Laskin, DL, Gow, AJ. Myeloid cell dynamics in bleomycin-induced pulmonary injury in mice; effects of anti-TNFα antibody. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2021;417 :115470. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2021.115470. PubMed PMID:33647319
- Murray, A, Gow, AJ, Venosa, A, Andres, J, Malaviya, R, Adler, D, Yurkow, E, Laskin, JD, Laskin, DL. Assessment of mustard vesicant lung injury and anti-TNF-α efficacy in rodents using live-animal imaging. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2020;1480 (1):246-256. doi: 10.1111/nyas.14525. PubMed PMID:33165947 PubMed Central PMC7968421
- Malaviya, R, Kipen, HM, Businaro, R, Laskin, JD, Laskin, DL. Pulmonary toxicants and fibrosis: innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2020;409 :115272. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2020.115272. PubMed PMID:33031836
- Malaviya, R, Abramova, EV, Rancourt, RC, Sunil, VR, Napierala, M, Weinstock, D, Croutch, CR, Roseman, J, Tuttle, R, Peters, E et al.. Progressive Lung Injury, Inflammation, and Fibrosis in Rats Following Inhalation of Sulfur Mustard. Toxicol Sci. 2020;178 (2):358-374. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfaa150. PubMed PMID:33002157 PubMed Central PMC7751178
- Francis, M, Guo, G, Kong, B, Abramova, EV, Cervelli, JA, Gow, AJ, Laskin, JD, Laskin, DL. Regulation of Lung Macrophage Activation and Oxidative Stress Following Ozone Exposure by Farnesoid X Receptor. Toxicol Sci. 2020;177 (2):441-453. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfaa111. PubMed PMID:32984886 PubMed Central PMC7548292
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