Ed Conway

Contact InformationEdC_29Aug2014
UBC Centre for Blood Research, Director
Life Sciences Centre
#4306 – 2350 Health Sciences Mall
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3
Tel: 1-604-822-4252
Fax: 1-604-822-7742
Cell: 1-778-960-7617
Email: ed.conway@ubc.ca

Current Positions

  • Professor of Medicine, University of British Columbia.
  • Canada Research Chair in Endothelial Cell Biology.
  • CSL-Behring Research Chair.
  • Staff Physician, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, VCH.
  • Adjunct Scientist, Canadian Blood Services.
  • Member – Experimental Medicine, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

Research Interests

Defining the molecular links between coagulation and innate immunity

Throughout evolution, organisms have developed means to simultaneously contain wounds by limiting bleeding with clot formation and fighting pathogens, thereby enabling rapid healing. Disease emerges when there is unchecked activation of the innate immune and/or coagulation responses. Indeed, simultaneous excess coagulation and innate immune responses are evident in numerous diseases, including, for example, atherosclerosis, stroke, coronary heart disease and diabetes, as well as organ ischemia-reperfusion, the metabolic syndrome, and other vasculopathic disorders, such as age-related macular degeneration, and hemolytic-uremic syndrome.

With the discovery that common molecular mechanisms regulate coagulation and inflammation, the last decades have seen major progress in identifying the cellular and molecular links. However, there remain major gaps in our knowledge and new discoveries are urgently needed for the development of novel strategies to prevent and/or treat cardiovascular disease and stroke. In our lab, we characterize the interplay between coagulation and complement, seeking relevant applications to our discoveries, using pre-clinical and clinical modeling approaches.

The perplexing story of the “tumor endothelial marker”, endosialin (CD248)

Endosialin (CD248) was originally identified as a tumor endothelial marker, but is now recognized to be expressed on the surface of activated stromal cells. This multi-domain glycoprotein is only expressed under pathologic conditions. Mice that lack CD248 are less sensitive to pro-inflammatory and oncogenic stimuli. We have determined that the cytoplasmic domain of CD248 modulates intracellular signals that promote tumor growth and inflammation. Ongoing studies are designed to identify molecular mechanisms by which CD248 functions, the protein partners with which CD248 interacts, and the wider impact of changes in expression of CD248. The findings may provide novel avenues for therapeutic targeting.

Selected Publications

  1. Bergmeier W, Antoniak S, Conway EM, Denis CV, George LA, Isermann B, Key NS, Krishnaswamy S, Lam WA, Lillicrap D, Liu J, Looney MR, Lopez JA, Maas C, Peyvandi F, Ruf W, Sood AK, Versteeg HH, Wolberg AS, Wong PC, Wood JP, Weiler H. Advances in clinical and basic science of coagulation: Illustrated abstracts of the 9th Chapel Hill Symposium on Hemostasis. 2018 12;2(3):407-428. Res Pract Haemost.
  2. Loghmani H, Conway EM. Exploring traditional versusnon-traditional roles for thrombomodulin. 2018 132(2):148-158, Blood.
  3. Foley JH, Conway EM. Basic weapons to degrade C3a and C5a. 2018 16(5):987-990. Thromb. Haemost.
  4. Conway EM. Complement-coagulation connections. 2018, 29(3):243-251. Blood Coagulation Fibrinolysis.
  5. Pang SS, Wijeyewickrema LC, Hor L, Tan S, Lameignere E, Conway EM, Blom AM, Mohlin FC, Liu X, Payne RJ, Whisstock JC, Pike RN. The structural basis for complement inhibition by Gigastasin, a protease inhibitor from the giant Amazon Leech. 2017. 199(11):3883-3891 Immunology.
  6. Rand JH, Wu X-X, Wolgast LR, Lei V, Conway EM. A novel 2-stage approach that detects complement activation in patients with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. 2017. 156:119-125 Thromb Res.
  7. Yang C-X, Singh A, Kim YW, Conway EM, Carlsten C, Tebbutt SJ. Diagnosis of western red cedar asthma using a blood-based gene expression biomarker panel. American Journal of Resp and Critical Care Med May 2, 2017 EPub PMID:28463537.
  8. Kalathottukaren M, Abraham L, Kapopara PR, Lai BFL, Shenoi RA, Rosell FI, Conway EM, Pryzdial ELF, Morrissey JH, Haynes CA, Kizhakkedathu JN. Alteration of clotting and clot morphology by protamine are avoided using the heparin and polyphosphate inhibitor, UHRA. Blood Mar 2017. 129(10):1368-1379.
  9. Cines DB, Yarovoi SV, Zaitsev S, Lebedeva T, Rauova L, Poncz M, Arepally GM, Rux AH, Cuker A, Guo C, Ocariza LM, Travers RJ, Smith SA, Kim H, Morrissey JH, Conway EM. Polyphosphate-platelet factor 4 complexes can mediate heparin-independent platelet activation in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Dec 2016. 29:128(3);1766-76. Blood Advances.
  10. Conway EM. Sweeteners for Factor H. Blood 127(22):2656-8.
  11. Wijeyewickrema LC, Lameignere­­E, Hor L, Duncan RC, Shiba T, Travers RJ, Kapopaara PY, Lei V, Smith SA, Kim H, Morrissey JH, Pike RN, Conway EM. Polyphosphate is a novel cofactor for regulation of complement by the serpin C1-inhibitor. Blood 2016 128(13):1766-76.
  12. Foley JH, Conway EM. Crosstalk pathways between coagulation and inflammation. Circulation Research 2016 April 29:118(9):1392-408.
  13. Conway EM. A nuclear attack on thrombosis and inflammation. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB) Feb 36(2):221-3.
  14. Foley JH, Aleman MM, Walton, BL, O’Byrne AM, Lei V, Foley KA, Degen JL, Wolberg AS, Conway EM. Complement activation in arterial and venous thrombosis is mediated by plasmin. Lancet E-Biomedicine 2016 Feb 6;5:175-82.
  15. Li D, Fu J, Du M, Zhang H, Li L, Cen J, Li W, Chen X, Conway EM, Pikarsky E, Wang H, Pan G, Ji Y, Wang H-W, Hui L. Hepatocellular carcinoma repression by TNF-alpha-mediated synergistic lethal effect of mitosis defect-induced senescence and cell death sensitization. Hepatology 2016 64(4):1105-20.
  16. Miletic AV, Jellusova J, Cato MH, Baracho GV, Conway EM, Rickert RC. Essential role for survivin in B-cell development and activation. J Immunology Jan 2016 Mar 1;196(5):2195-204.
  17. Lattenist L, Teske G, Claessen N, Florquin S, Conway EM, Roelofs JTH. The lectin-like domain of thrombomodulin is involved in the defense against pyelonephritis. Res. 2015 Dec 136(6):1325-31 PMID 26573396.
  18. Conway EM. HUS and the case for complement. Blood. 2015 126(18):2085-90.
  19. Conway EM Reincarnation of ancient links between coagulation and complement. Thromb. Haemost. 2015 Jun 13 Suppl 1:S121–S132.
  20. Ouellet E, Foley JH, Conway EM, Cheung KC, Haynes CA. Hi-Fi SELEX: A high-fidelity digital-PCR based therapeutic aptamer discovery platform. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 2015 Aug 112(8):1506-22 PMID: 25727321.
  21. Foley JH, Peterson EA, Wan LW, Krisinger MJ, Conway EM. Interplay between fibrinolysis and complement: Plasmin cleavage of iC3b modulates immune responses. Thromb Haemost. 2015 Apr;13(4):610-8.
  22. Bellac CL. Dufour A, Krisinger M, Loonchanta A, Starr AE, auf dem Keller U, Lange PF, Goebeler V, Kappelhoff RG, Butler GS, Burtnick LD, Conway EM, Roberts CR, Overall CM. Macrophage Matrix Metalloproteinase-12 Dampens Inflammation and Neutrophil Recruitment in Arthritis: Pleiotropic Roles Revealed by TAILS Proteomics. Cell Reports 2014, Oct 23;9(2):618-32.
  23. Brun S, Esparza L, Garcia G, Terry D, Huang J-M, Pavlyukov M, Xiao-Nan L, Grant G, Crawford J, Levy M, Conway EM, Smith L, Nakano I, Berezov A, Greene M, Wang Q, Markant S, Wechsler-Reya R. Survivin as a therapeutic target in Sonic hedgehog-driven medulloblastoma. Oncogene 2015 Jul;34(2)3770-9. PMID 25241898.
  24. Yu K, Lai BFL, Foley JH, Krisinger MJ, Conway EM, Kizhakkedathu JN. Modulation of Complement Activation and Amplification on Nanoparticle Surfaces by Glycopolymer Conformation and Chemistry. American Chem Society (ACS) Nano 2014 Aug 26;8(8):7687-703. PMID 25106451.
  25. Fukuda S, Hoggatt J, Singh P, Abe M, Speth JM, Hu P, Conway EM, Nucifora G, Yamaguchi S, Pelus LM. Survivin Modulates Genes with Divergent Molecular Functions and Regulates Proliferation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells through Evi-1. Leukemia. 2015.29(2):433-40 PMID 24903482.
  26. Cassis P, Solini S, Azzollini B, Aiello S, Rocchetta F, Conti S, Novelli R, Gagliardini E, Mister M, Rapezzi S, Rapezzi F, Benigni A, Remuzzi G, Conway EM, Noris M. An unanticipated role for survivin in organ transplant damage. American J Transplant.(USA) 2014. May;14(5):1046-60 PMID: 24731002.
  27. Kager LM, Wiersinga WJ, Roelofs JJTH, Stroo I, Achouiti A, van ‘t Veer C, Conway EM, van der Poll T. Mice lacking the lectin-like domain of thrombomodulin are protected against melioidosis. Critical Care Medicine 2014 Mar;42(3):e221-30.
  28. Bellac CL. Dufour A, Krisinger M, Loonchanta A, Starr AE, auf dem Keller U, Lange PF, Goebeler V, Kappelhoff RG, Butler GS, Burtnick LD, Conway EM, Roberts CR, Overall CM. Macrophage Matrix Metalloproteinase-12 Dampens Inflammation and Neutrophil Recruitment in Arthritis: Pleiotropic Roles Revealed by TAILS Proteomics. Cell Reports 2014, Oct 23;9(2):618-32.
  29. Adisetiyo H, Liang M, Liao C-P, Aycock-Williams A, Cohen MB, Xu S, Neamati N, Conway EM, Cheng C-Y, Nikitin AY, Roy-Burman P. Loss of survivin in the prostate epithelium impedes carcinogenesis in a mouse model of prostate adenocarcinoma.  PLOS One 2013. Jul 31;8(7):e69484.
  30. Chen J, Chen J-K, Conway EM, Harris RC. Survivin mediates recovery of renal proximal tubule epithelial cells following acute kidney injury. J American Society of Nephrology 2013. Dec;24(12):2023-33.

Education

  • Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences), University of Leuven (KUL), Belgium, 2006.
  • M.B.A., Heriot Watt University, Scotland, 2004.
  • FACP, Harvard University, Boston, 1984.
  • FRCP(C), University of Toronto, 1984.
  • M.D., University of Toronto, 1979.
  • B.A.Sc. (Electrical Engineering), University of Toronto, 1975.