Roy R. Hantgan, PhD

Associate Professor of Biochemistry

Telephone: (336) 716-4675
Fax: (336) 716-7671

Email: rhantgan@wfubmc.edu

Education:

• Juniata College, BS, 1968
• Cornell University, PhD (Physical Chemistry), 1974

Research Interests: My research focuses on understanding the molecular and cellular interactions that stabilize an occlusive thrombus and devising biochemical interventions that can restore normal blood flow.

Current Research:

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in our society, and the major culprit is a platelet-rich occlusive thrombus formed by the untimely activation of platelets and the clotting cascade. My research focuses on understanding the molecular and cellular interactions that stabilize a thrombus and devising biochemical interventions that can restore normal blood flow. Integrin receptors that sprout from the platelet surface to capture fibrin strands like molecular Velcro are at the core of the problem. We meld biophysical chemistry and molecular biology to determine the structural changes that convert resting integrins into the hemostatically active receptors at a site of vascular injury. In parallel, we are evaluating the newest generation of anti-platelet drugs, integrin antagonists, to learn how to block integrin:fibrin adhesive interactions while minimizing the prothrombotic complications of these novel therapeutics.

Recent Publications:

Hantgan, R. R., Stahle, M. C., Connor, J. H., Lyles, D. S., Horita, D. A., Rocco, M., Nagaswami, C., Weizel, J. W., McLane, M. A.:  The disintegrin echistatin stabilizes integrin αIIbβ3’s open conformation and promotes its oligomerization.  J. Mol. Biol. 342:1625-1636 (2004).

Hantgan, R. R., Gibbs, W., Stahle, M. C., Aster, R. H., Peterson, J. A.:  Integrin clustering mechanisms explored with a soluable αIIbβ3 ectodomain construct.  Biochim. Biophys. Acta.  1700:19-25 (2004).

Mizel SB, West AP, Hantgan RR. Identification of a sequence in human toll-like receptor 5 required for the binding of Gram-negative flagellin. J Biol Chem. 2003 Jun 27;278(26):23624-9.

Hantgan RR, Lyles DS, Mallett TC, Rocco M, Nagaswami C, Weisel JW. Ligand binding promotes the entropy-driven oligomerization of integrin alpha IIb beta 3. J Biol Chem. 2003 Jan 31;278(5):3417-26.

Hantgan RR, Stahle MC, Jerome WG, Nagaswami C, Weisel JW. Tirofiban blocks platelet adhesion to fibrin with minimal perturbation of GpIIb/IIIa structure. Thromb Haemost. 2002 May;87(5):910-7.

Publications:
For a listing of additional publications, refer to PubMed, a service provided by the National Library of Medicine