Chief, Division of Nephrology

Department / Division:
Medicine / Nephrology

Address:
DUMC 103015
Durham, NC 27710

Appointment Telephone:
919-684-9788

Office Telephone:
919-684-9788

Fax Telephone:
919-684-3011

• MD, Ohio State University College of Medicine, 1980

• Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, 1980-1983
• Nephrology, Duke University Medical Center, 1983-1985

Clinical Interests:
Renal transplantation and hypertension

Research Interests:
My laboratory is interested mechanisms of kidney injury in disease states and the role of the kidney in regulation of blood pressure.  Our research addresses issues that are relevant to disorders such as hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, transplant rejection, and autoimmune diseases.  We have been particularly interested in two hormone systems that impact these processes:  (1) the renin-angiotensin system and (2) lipid mediators derived from cyco-oxygenase metabolism of arachidonic acid.  Our studies have taken advantage of available technologies for producing genetic alterations in mice to study the physiology of these systems.  As one example, we generated and characterized lines of mice lacking the major physiological receptors for angiotensin II in the mouse.  These studies have provided novel information regarding the role of these receptors in blood pressure homeostasis, in promoting kidney injury in disease states, and in the regulation of inflammation.  A major objective of our work is to identify new approaches to treatment and disease prevention.  To this end, we are using molecular genetic technology to develop and refine mouse models of human diseases such as diabetic nephropathy, kidney transplant rejection, and hypertension.

Representative Publications:
Gurley SB, Coffman TM. The renin-angiotensin system and diabetic nephropathy. Semin Nephrol. 2007 Mar;27(2):144-52. (2007) Abstract

Crowley SD, Coffman TM. In hypertension, the kidney rules. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2007 Apr;9(2):148-53. (2007) Abstract

Ashton AW, Mukherjee S, Nagajyothi FN, Huang H, Braunstein VL, Desruisseaux MS, Factor SM, Lopez L, Berman JW, Wittner M, Scherer PE, Capra V, Coffman TM, Serhan CN, Gotlinger K, Wu KK, Weiss LM, Tanowitz HB. Thromboxane A2 is a key regulator of pathogenesis during Trypanosoma cruzi infection. J Exp Med. 2007 Apr 16;204(4):929-40. (2007) Abstract

Gurley SB, Allred A, Le TH, Griffiths R, Mao L, Philip N, Haystead TA, Donoghue M, Breitbart RE, Acton SL, Rockman HA, Coffman TM. Altered blood pressure responses and normal cardiac phenotype in ACE2-null mice. J Clin Invest. 2006 Aug;116(8):2218-25. (2006) Abstract

Crowley SD, Gurley SB, Herrera MJ, Ruiz P, Griffiths R, Kumar AP, Kim HS, Smithies O, Le TH, Coffman TM. Angiotensin II causes hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy through its receptors in the kidney. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Nov 21;103(47):17985-90. (2006) Abstract

Coffman TM. A WNK in the kidney controls blood pressure. Nat Genet. 2006 Oct;38(10):1105-6. (2006) Abstract

Rudic RD, Brinster D, Cheng Y, Fries S, Song WL, Austin S, Coffman TM, FitzGerald GA. COX-2-derived prostacyclin modulates vascular remodeling. Circ Res. 2005 Jun 24;96(12):1240-7. (2005) Abstract

Francois H, Athirakul K, Howell D, Dash R, Mao L, Kim HS, Rockman HA, Fitzgerald GA, Koller BH, Coffman TM. Prostacyclin protects against elevated blood pressure and cardiac fibrosis. Cell Metab. 2005 Sep;2(3):201-7. (2005) Abstract

Crowley SD, Gurley SB, Oliverio MI, Pazmino AK, Griffiths R, Flannery PJ, Spurney RF, Kim HS, Smithies O, Le TH, Coffman TM. Distinct roles for the kidney and systemic tissues in blood pressure regulation by the renin-angiotensin system. J Clin Invest. 2005 Apr;115(4):1092-9. (2005) Abstract

Goulet JL, Pace AJ, Key ML, Byrum RS, Nguyen M, Tilley SL, Morham SG, Langenbach R, Stock JL, McNeish JD, Smithies O, Coffman TM, Koller BH. E-prostanoid-3 receptors mediate the proinflammatory actions of prostaglandin E2 in acute cutaneous inflammation. J Immunol. 2004 Jul 15;173(2):1321-6. (2004) Abstract

Thomas DW, Rocha PN, Nataraj C, Robinson LA, Spurney RF, Koller BH, Coffman TM. Proinflammatory actions of thromboxane receptors to enhance cellular immune responses. J Immunol. 2003 Dec 15;171(12):6389-95. (2003) Abstract

Tharaux PL, Bukoski RC, Rocha PN, Crowley SD, Ruiz P, Nataraj C, Howell DN, Kaibuchi K, Spurney RF, Coffman TM. Rho kinase promotes alloimmune responses by regulating the proliferation and structure of T cells. J Immunol. 2003 Jul 1;171(1):96-105. (2003) Abstract

Rocha PN, Plumb TJ, Coffman TM. Eicosanoids: lipid mediators of inflammation in transplantation. Springer Semin Immunopathol. 2003 Sep;25(2):215-27. (2003) Abstract