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Steven R. Houser, PhD, FAHA

Chairperson, Department of Physiology

Director, Cardiovascular Research Center

Laura H. Carnell Professor of Physiology

Professor, Medicine

Telephone:  215-707-3278

Fax:  215-707-0170

Office: Medical Research Room 204B

Email: srhouser@temple.edu

Department of Physiology

Cardiovascular Research Center

BA, Biology and Chemistry

Eastern College 

 

PhD, Physiology

Temple University School of Medicine

 

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cardiology

Temple University School of Medicine

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The research in the Houser laboratory is focused on those processes that maintain the electrical and contractile properties of the normal heart and the defects in these processes that lead to electrical instability (arrhythmias and sudden death) and poor cardiac pump performance congestive heart failure). We are currently continuing our studies of the determinants of cellular electrical and mechanical defects in diseased cardiac myocytes. In addition, we are exploring the idea that a major factor that determines the overall state of cardiac myocyte function is a balance between new myocyte formation (cardiac regeneration) and programmed myocyte death (apoptosis).

Our cell physiology studies are exploring the idea that activation of Ca2+ dependent signaling pathways (mainly through CAMKII) regulate Ca2+ handling proteins in diseased myocytes. We have developed techniques in live cells to track Ca2+ dependent activation of NFAT and are characterizing the associated alterations in cell function. These studies are being performed in collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Molkentin at the University of Cincinnati. The second and third areas of new research are centered on the new idea that there is myocyte turnover in the adult heart. Therefore, we are studying the factors that regulate cell death (mainly through apoptosis, with Dr. Richard Kitsis) and new myocyte formation (via cardiac progenitor cells, with Drs Annarosa Leri and Piero Anversa). We have identified cardiac stem/progenitor cells in feline and human hearts and plan for a rapid expansion of this novel (and controversial) area. We will specifically explore the hypothesis that hypertrophy in response to pressure overload involves new myocyte formation in addition to enlargement of terminally differentiated myocytes. Our newest data shows that expression of T-type Ca2+ channels is linked to differentiation of cardiac stem cells into new cardiac myocytes. Ca2+ influx through these channels also appears to be linked to proliferation of new myocytes.

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Recent Medically Related Publications, Obtained from PubMed (Click on PubMed ID to view abstract)

19716828. Kolpakov MA, Seqqat R, Rafiq K, Xi H, Margulies KB, Libonati JR, Powel P, Houser SR, Dell'italia LJ, Sabri A, Pleiotropic effects of neutrophils on myocyte apoptosis and left ventricular remodeling during early volume overload. J Mol Cell Cardiol 47:5(634-45)2009 Nov

19627664. Angert D, Houser SR, Stem cell therapy for heart failure. Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med 11:4(316-27)2009 Aug

19608982. MacDonnell SM, Weisser-Thomas J, Kubo H, Hanscome M, Liu Q, Jaleel N, Berretta R, Chen X, Brown JH, Sabri AK, Molkentin JD, Houser SR, CaMKII negatively regulates calcineurin-NFAT signaling in cardiac myocytes. Circ Res 105:4(316-25)2009 Aug 14

19065545. Molina EJ, Palma J, Gupta D, Torres D, Gaughan JP, Houser S, Macha M, Reverse remodeling is associated with changes in extracellular matrix proteases and tissue inhibitors after mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) treatment of pressure overload hypertrophy. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 3:2(85-91)2009 Feb

18993028. Molina EJ, Palma J, Gupta D, Gaughan JP, Houser S, Macha M, Right ventricular effects of intracoronary delivery of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in an animal model of pressure overload heart failure. Biomed Pharmacother :()2008 Sep 25

18855260. Kolwicz SC, MacDonnell SM, Kendrick ZV, Houser SR, Libonati JR, Voluntary wheel running and pacing-induced dysfunction in hypertension. Clin Exp Hypertens 30:7(565-73)2008 Oct

18832749. Jaleel N, Nakayama H, Chen X, Kubo H, MacDonnell S, Zhang H, Berretta R, Robbins J, Cribbs L, Molkentin JD, Houser SR, Ca2+ influx through T- and L-type Ca2+ channels have different effects on myocyte contractility and induce unique cardiac phenotypes. Circ Res 103:10(1109-19)2008 Nov 7

18755480. Molina EJ, Gupta D, Palma J, Torres D, Gaughan JP, Houser S, Macha M, Novel experimental model of pressure overload hypertrophy in rats. J Surg Res 153:2(287-94)2009 May 15

18645055. Kubo H, Jaleel N, Kumarapeli A, Berretta RM, Bratinov G, Shan X, Wang H, Houser SR, Margulies KB, Increased cardiac myocyte progenitors in failing human hearts. Circulation 118:6(649-57)2008 Aug 5

18577756. Houser SR, Molkentin JD, Does contractile Ca2+ control calcineurin-NFAT signaling and pathological hypertrophy in cardiac myocytes? Sci Signal 1:25(pe31)2008 Jun 24

18388322. MacDonnell SM, García-Rivas G, Scherman JA, Kubo H, Chen X, Valdivia H, Houser SR, Adrenergic regulation of cardiac contractility does not involve phosphorylation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor at serine 2808. Circ Res 102:8(e65-72)2008 Apr 25

18359894. Chen X, Zhang X, Harris DM, Piacentino V 3rd, Berretta RM, Margulies KB, Houser SR, Reduced effects of BAY K 8644 on L-type Ca2+ current in failing human cardiac myocytes are related to abnormal adrenergic regulation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 294:5(H2257-67)2008 May

18262563. Gupta D, Palma J, Molina E, Gaughan JP, Long W, Houser S, Macha M, Improved exercise capacity and reduced systemic inflammation after adenoviral-mediated SERCA-2a gene transfer. J Surg Res 145:2(257-65)2008 Apr

18242254. Molina EJ, Palma J, Gupta D, Torres D, Gaughan JP, Houser S, Macha M, Improvement in hemodynamic performance, exercise capacity, inflammatory profile, and left ventricular reverse remodeling after intracoronary delivery of mesenchymal stem cells in an experimental model of pressure overload hypertrophy. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 135:2(292-9, 299.e1)2008 Feb

17931654. Quaile MP, Rossman EI, Berretta RM, Bratinov G, Kubo H, Houser SR, Margulies KB, Reduced sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) load mediates impaired contractile reserve in right ventricular pressure overload. J Mol Cell Cardiol 43:5(552-63)2007 Nov

17827263. MacDonnell SM, Kubo H, Harris DM, Chen X, Berretta R, Barbe MF, Kolwicz S, Reger PO, Eckhart A, Renna BF, Koch WJ, Houser SR, Libonati JR, Calcineurin inhibition normalizes beta-adrenergic responsiveness in the spontaneously hypertensive rat. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 293:5(H3122-9)2007 Nov

17594913. McGinley JC, Berretta RM, Chaudhary K, Rossman E, Bratinov GD, Gaughan JP, Houser S, Margulies KB, Impaired contractile reserve in severe mitral valve regurgitation with a preserved ejection fraction. Eur J Heart Fail 9:9(857-64)2007 Sep

17431084. Renna BF, MacDonnell SM, Reger PO, Crabbe DL, Houser SR, Libonati JR, Relative systolic dysfunction in female spontaneously hypertensive rat myocardium. J Appl Physiol 103:1(353-8)2007 Jul

17272809. Chen X, Wilson RM, Kubo H, Berretta RM, Harris DM, Zhang X, Jaleel N, MacDonnell SM, Bearzi C, Tillmanns J, Trofimova I, Hosoda T, Mosna F, Cribbs L, Leri A, Kajstura J, Anversa P, Houser SR, Adolescent feline heart contains a population of small, proliferative ventricular myocytes with immature physiological properties. Circ Res 100:4(536-44)2007 Mar 2

17012360. Mills GD, Harris DM, Chen X, Houser SR, Intracellular sodium determines frequency-dependent alterations in contractility in hypertrophied feline ventricular myocytes. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 292:2(H1129-38)2007 Feb

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Postdoctoral Fellows

Lab phone number 215-707-3275

Hajime Kubo, PhD                 hajime.kubo@temple.edu

Wei Wang, PhD                      wei.wang0001@temple.edu

                                                                                                                                                      

Graduate Students

David Angert                            david.angert@temple.edu

Larry Barr                                  larry.barr@temple.edu

Naser Jaleel                            njaleel@temple.edu

Hongyu Zhang                         hongyu.zhang@temple.edu

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Remus Berretta

Lab Manager

T:  215-707-6501

F:  215-707-0170

Email address:  remus.berretta@temple.edu

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