Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute

Herbert B. Tanowitz, M.D.

Herbert B. Tanowitz, M.D.Herbert B. Tanowitz, M.D.
Professor, Department of Pathology
Professor, Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) 

Dr. Tanowitz's laboratory investigates the pathogenesis of chagasic (Chagas) heart disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Chagas disease is also an opportunistic infection in HIV/AIDS. Dr. Tanowitz and colleagues are examining signaling pathways involved in cardiac remodeling as a consequence of the T. cruzi infection, as well as the consequences of this infection on cell cycle regulatory proteins (i.e., cyclins) in vitro. full bio>> 


Key Publications

  1. Nagajyothi FNU, Zhao D, Machado FS, Weiss LM, Schwartz GJ, Desruisseaux MS, Zhao Y, Factor SM, Huang H, Albanese C, Teixeira MM, Scherer PE, Chua SC Jr, Tanowitz HB. Crucial role of the central leptin receptor in murine Trypanosoma cruzi infection. J Inf Dis 202:1104-13, 2010
  2. Mukherjee S, Machado FS, Huang H, Oz HS, Jelicks LA, Prado CM, Koba W, Fine EJ, Zhao D, Factor SM, Collado JE, Weiss LM, Tanowitz HB, Ashton AW. Aspirin treatment of mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi and implications for the pathogenesis of Chagas disease. PLoS One. 15;6(2):e16959, 2011
  3. Matos Ferreira AV, Segatto M, Menezes Z, Macedo AM, Gelape C, de Oliveira Andrade L, Nagajyothi F, Scherer PE, Teixeira MM, Tanowitz HB. Evidence for Trypanosoma cruzi in adipose tissue in human chronic Chagas disease. Microbes Infect. 13:1002-1005, 2011.
  4. Nagajyothi F, Machado FS, Burleigh BA, Jelicks LA, Scherer PE, Mukherjee S, Lisanti MP, Weiss LM, Garg NJ, Tanowitz HB. Mechanisms of Trypanosoma cruzi persistence in Chagas disease. Cell Microbiol. 14:634-643, 2012
  5. Mukherjee S, Sadekar N, Ashton AW, Huang H, Spray DC, Lisanti MP, Machado FS, Weiss LM, Tanowitz HB. Identification of a functional prostanoid-like receptor in the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasitol Res 112:1417-25, 2013
  6. Nagajyothi F, Weiss LM, Zhao D, Koba W, Jelicks LA, Cui MH, Factor SM, Scherer PE, Tanowitz HB. High Fat Diet Modulates Trypanosoma cruzi Infection Associated Myocarditis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014 Oct 2;8(10):e3118.