Sebastien Fuchs, MD, PhD

Research Scientist, Biomedical Sciences
Email:sebastien.fuchs@cshs.org
Phone:(310) 423-7768

Awards and Activities

K99/RO02006

Research Focus

Pulmonary Fibrosis. The scope of the research is to define the importance of the renin-angiontensin system in the control of the extracellular matrix. The lab is studying site specific inactivations angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) to identify the new peptides and pathways involved in the inflammatory and fibrotic process in the lung. Ultimately, the goal is to define new targets for therapeutic approaches to treat lung (and other tissues) fibrotic diseases.

Research Contributions

Actively contributed to the understanding of the regulation of the human renin promoter. This research as implication in the comprehension of the mechanisms leading to high blood pressure.
Studied 3 point mutations of the endothelin receptor type B involved in the Hirschsprung's disease.
Created genetically modified mice to understand the role aldosterone in heart disease.
Expert in the physiology of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and have discovered new functions and properties to this enzyme.

Current investigations include:

Genetically modified mice model expressing altered ACE protein. Importance of Ac-SDKP. Extracellular matrix remodeling. TGF-beta / Smads pathway. Bleomycin-induced lung injury.

Selected Publications

  1. Germain S, Bonnet F, Philippe J, Fuchs S, Corvol P, Pinet F: A novel distal enhancer confers chorionic expression on the human renin gene. J. Biol. Chem., 273(39): 25292-300, 1998
  2. Fuchs S, Amiel J, Claudel S, Lyonnet S, Corvol P, Pinet F: Functional characterization of three mutations of the endothelin B receptor gene in patients with Hirschsprung's disease: evidence for selective loss of Gi coupling. Mol. Med., 7(2): 115-24, 2001
  3. Fuchs S, Germain S, Philippe J, Corvol P, Pinet F: Expression of renin in large arteries outside the kidney revealed by human renin promoter/LacZ transgenic mouse. Am. J. Pathol., 161(2): 717-25, 2002
  4. Fuchs S, Philippe J, Germain S, Mathieu F, Jeunemaitre X, Corvol P, Pinet F: Functionality of two new polymorphisms in the human renin gene enhancer region. J. Hypertens., 20(12): 2391-8, 2002
  5. Fuchs S, Xiao HD, Cole JM, Adams JW, Frenzel K, Michaud A, Zhao H, Keshelava G, Capecchi MR, Corvol P, Bernstein KE: Role of the N-terminal catalytic domain of angiotensin-converting enzyme investigated by targeted inactivation in mice. J. Biol. Chem., 279(16): 15946-53, 2004
  6. Fuchs S, Frenzel K, Hubert C, Lyng R, Muller L, Michaud A, Xiao HD, Adams JW, Capecchi MR, Corvol P, Shur BD, Bernstein KE: Male fertility is dependent on dipeptidase activity of testis ACE. Nat. Med., 11(11): 1140-2; author reply 1142-3, 2005