Immunology: Current Research
Open Access

Biography

I work in academia as an internationally recognized neuropharmacology and neuroimmunology researcher. I published more than 500 scientific reports in the field of neuropsychopharmacology and signal transduction . I am leading a laboratory interested in understanding the fundamental neurobiological mechanisms of neuropsychiatric disorders to contribute at development of new pharmacological treatments. We use genetic, neuroendocrine and neurochemical methods. We recognize the role of the immune system in modulating neuropsychiatric diseases and we are developing in vitro cellular models and in vivo animal models to study the neuro-immune interactions under normal and disease states I has successfully combined research, teaching, administration and clinical care and continue to work on advancing our understanding of serious mental illness and drug development. We used to translate research findings into medical practice for the purposes of diagnosing, preventing and treating diseases. I has published scientific reports on peptides, their receptors, signal transduction and the role of these neuropeptides in the immune systems. I hold patents for using modified peptides in the treatment of septic shock. I have skills and expertise in receptor pharmacology, immunohistochemistry, in vivo and in vitro cell culture, biochemistry, animal models, cell and molecular biology. I has lectured worldwide on these subjects and the others. I have 19 years of research experience with development and use of in vitro models to test compounds, such as receptor binding, receptor activation, signal transduction, receptor-receptor interactions, and induction of changes in cell cycle, proliferation and apoptosis. Furthermore I validated appropriate assays and models of diseases, screen compounds, and study mechanisms of action. EDUCATION Ph.D. in Neuroendocrinology WORK EXPERIENCE Professor of Neuropharmacology: University of South California, Los Angeles P September 1996- present Senior Scientist: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York September 1994 –September 1996 Senior Scientist: George Washington University, Washington D.C. and Peptide Technologies, Maryland September 1992-September 1994 Visiting Scientist: National Institute of Mental Health and Peptide Design, Bethesda, MD September 1987-September 1992 SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Fagarasan, M. O.; Galea, V.; Toader, S.: "Chronic poisoning with trifluoperazine in rats. Kinetics of metabolites and hematologic changes." Clujul Medical, 57(2): 143-146, 1984. Fagarasan, M. O Quai, I.; Popa, L.;.: "Histopathological neuronal changes in acute intoxications with psychotropic drugs." Probleme de Medicine Legala, 17-18: 206-209, 1985. Fagarasan, M. O.; Fagarasan, E.: "Determination of hydroxi-metabolites of amitriptyline by mass spectrometry. Revista de Chimie, 37 (8): 775-726, 1986. Fagarasan, M. O.; Eskay, R.; Axelrod, J.: "Interleukin 1 potentiates the secretion of beta-endorphin induced by secretagogues in a mouse pituitary cell line (AtT-20). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 86: 2070-2073, 1989. Fagarasan, M. O.; Axelrod, J.: "Interleukin 1 amplifies the action of pituitary secretagogues via protein kinases. International J. Neurosci., 51, 311-313, 1990. Fagarasan, M. O.; Bishop, J. F.; Rinaudo, M. S.; Axelrod, J.: "Interleukin 1 induces early protein phosphorylation and requires only a short exposure for late induced secretion of beta-endorphin in a mouse pituitary cell line." Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 87, 2229-2555, 1990. Fagarasan, M. O.; Aiello, F.; Muegge, K.; Durum, S.; Axelrod, J.: "Interleukin 1 induces beta-endorphin secretion via Fos and Jun in AtT-20 pituitary cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 87, 7871-7874, 1990. Fagarasan, M. O.; Axelrod, J.; Catt, J. K.: "Interleukin 1 potentiates agonist induced secretion of beta-endorphin in anterior pituitary cells." Biochem. and Biophys. Res. Comm. 173 (3): 988-993, 1990. Fagarasan, M. O.; Arora, P. V.; Axelrod, J.: "Interleukin 1 potentiates the secretion of b-endorphin induced by secretagogues: Dynamics of interleukin 1 internalization in pituitary cells. Prog. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiat., 15, 551-560, 1991. Fagarasan, M. O.: "Effects of IL-1 on AtT-20 cells: Methods and Overview. Neurobiology of Cytokines. Methods in Neurosciences, Vol. 16, Erol de Souza, (ed.) 327-341, 1993. Moody, T. W.; Fagarasan, M. O.; Zia, F.; Cesnjoy, M.; Goldstein, A. L.: "Thymosin Alpha 1 down regulates the growth of human non-small cell lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo". Cancer Res., 53, 5214-5218, 1993. Moody, T.; W.; Zia, F. Venugopal; R., Korman, L. ,Y.; Goldstein A., L, Fagarasan, M. O.,: " Corticotropin -Releasing Factor stimulate cyclic AMP, arachidonic acid release and growth of lung cancer cells." Peptides, 15, (2): 281-285, 1994. Zia, F.; Fagarasan, M. O.: Bitar, K.; Coy, D.,H., Pisegna, J.,R.; Wang, S., A., Moody, T.,W. " Pituitary adenilate cyclase activating peptide receptors regulate the growth of non-small lung cancer cells" Cancer Research 55(21): 4886-91, 1995. Moody, T.,W.; Fagarasan, M. O.; Zia, F., " Neuromedin B stimulates arachidonic acid release, c-fos gene expression and the growth of c6 glioma cells". Peptides, 16, (6), :1133-1140., 1995. Knight, M., Fagarasan, M. O.; Takahashi, K., Gebblaoui, A., Z., Ma,Y., Ito, Y. Separation and purification of peptides by high -speed counter-current chromatography." J. Chromatogr. A, 702 (1-2) :207-214, 1995. Moody, T., W; Zia, F.; Venugopal, R.; Fagarasan, M. O.; Oie, H.; Hu, V. " GRP receptors are present in non small cell lung cancer cells" J. of Cellular Biochemistry., Supplement , 24 : 247-56, 1996. Fagarasan, M. O,; Aisen, P. S.: "IL-1 and Anti-inflammatory drugs modulate Amyloid beta cytotoxicity in PC12 cells" . Brain Research 723, 231-234, 1996. Fagarasan, M. O.; Efthimioupolos, S.: " Mechanism of amyloid beta-peptide (1-42) toxicity in PC12 cells." Molecular Psychiatry 1, 398-403, 1996. Fagarasan, M. O.; Sevilla D.; Baruch B.; Santoto J.; Marin D.; and Aisen P.S.: Plasma C3a levels in Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s Research 3, 137-140, 1997. Badamchian, M; Fagarasan, M.O.; Danner, R.L., Goldstein, A.L. : Thymosin beta 4 reduces lethality and down regulates inflammatory mediators in endotoxin-induced septic shock. “Int. J. of Imm. Pharm”. 2003 PATENTS 1. Method of treating septic shock using thymosin beta 4. 2. Method of treating septic shock by preventing actin polymerization.  

Research Interest

Neuroendocrine, neuro-immune interactions , mental illness, receptor pharmacology, immunohistochemistry, proliferation and apoptosis