Dr. Stanley Hoffman is a Professor in the Division of Rheumatology & Immunology and in the Department of Cell Biology at the Medical University of South Carolina. He received a B.Sc. in Life Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1972 and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the California Institute of Technology in 1978. He then worked with Nobel Laureate Gerald M. Edelman at the Rockefeller University as a Postdoctoral Fellow, Research Associate, and Assistant Professor. He joined the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology as an Associate Professor in 1990 and was promoted to Professor in 1998.
Dr. Hoffman has been involved in the study of cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion since the study of the role of specific molecules in these processes was initiated in the 1970s. He has done pioneering work on several of these molecules including NCAM, tenascin-C, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, and periostin. The function of the ECM is critical in regulating diverse cellular processes including cell division, cell migration, differentiation, and cell death. These are the primary processes of tissue morphogenesis. When properly coordinated these processes lead to favorable outcomes such as embryonic development and the repair of damaged tissues in adult organisms. On the other hand, these processes are not properly coordinated in birth defects and in fibrotic diseases (e.g. scleroderma) in which overexpression of ECM proteins occurs. These processes are also subverted by tumors, allowing the uncontrolled growth of the tumor and the generation of blood vessels
Stanley R. Hoffman, Ph.D.
Dr. Hoffman's Research Interests
Cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion
Selected Publications
View a partial list ofDr. Hoffman's publicationsthrough the National Library of Medicine's PubMed online database.
that feed the tumor. The long-term goal of Dr. Hoffman’s research is to develop treatments for human diseases that involve altering the expression or function of particular ECM proteins in affected tissues. To this end, Dr. Hoffman’s research is aimed at understanding the mechanisms through which the expression of ECM proteins can be controlled and the mechanisms through which ECM proteins regulate cell behavior. This research involves both mechanistic studies in cell culture model and translational research in animal models of human diseases with particular emphasis on lung fibrosis.
Work in the Hoffman laboratory has been supported by grants from the Scleroderma Foundation; NIH Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; NIH National Center for Research Resources; NIH Institute of Aging; NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; American Heart Association; Department of Defense; Department of Energy; NASA; RGK Foundation; and Showa Denko K K Pharmaceutical.
installed on your computer.