A photo of Rana Herro.

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

858-729-3784

Biography & Affiliation

Biography

Fibrosis is responsible for over 45% of deaths in the United States. Developing effective therapeutics and novel prognostic biomarkers for fibrotic diseases is the goal of my research at Cincinnati Children’s.

I’m particularly interested in tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily members and their involvement in inflammation and fibrosis. More specifically, my lab investigates whether TNF molecules could be targets of therapeutic intervention to suppress disease symptoms and cure fibrosis associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, systemic sclerosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, neutrophilic asthma and atopic dermatitis, among others.

Academic Affiliation

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Research Divisions

Allergy and Immunology, Pulmonary Medicine, Immunobiology

Education

PhD: University of Paris, Orsay-Paris XI, France.

Postdoc: The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA.

Instructor: La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA.

Publications

Increased Production of LIGHT by T Cells in Eosinophilic Esophagitis Promotes Differentiation of Esophageal Fibroblasts Toward an Inflammatory Phenotype. Manresa, MC; Chiang, AW T; Kurten, RC; Dohil, R; Brickner, H; Dohil, L; Herro, R; Akuthota, P; Lewis, NE; Croft, M; et al. Gastroenterology. 2020; 159:1778-1792.e13.

TL1A Promotes Lung Tissue Fibrosis and Airway Remodeling. Herro, R; Miki, H; Sethi, GS; Mills, D; Mehta, AK; Nguyen, X; Feghali-Bostwick, C; Miller, M; Broide, DH; Soloff, R; et al. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950). 2020; 205:2414-2422.

Adenosine deaminase-1 delineates human follicular helper T cell function and is altered with HIV. Tardif, V; Muir, R; Cubas, R; Chakhtoura, M; Wilkinson, P; Metcalf, T; Herro, R; Haddad, EK. Nature Communications. 2019; 10.

The TWEAK/Fn14 pathway is required for calcineurin inhibitor toxicity of the kidneys. Claus, M; Herro, R; Wolf, D; Buscher, K; Rudloff, S; Huynh-Do, U; Burkly, L; Croft, M; Sidler, D. American Journal of Transplantation. 2018; 18:1636-1645.

LIGHT-HVEM signaling in keratinocytes controls development of dermatitis. Herro, R; Shui, J; Zahner, S; Sidler, D; Kawakami, Y; Kawakami, T; Tamada, K; Kronenberg, M; Croft, M. The Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2018; 215:415-422.

TWEAK mediates inflammation in experimental atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Sidler, D; Wu, P; Herro, R; Claus, M; Wolf, D; Kawakami, Y; Kawakami, T; Burkly, L; Croft, M. Nature Communications. 2017; 8.

The control of tissue fibrosis by the inflammatory molecule LIGHT (TNF Superfamily member 14). Herro, R; Croft, M. Pharmacological Research. 2016; 104:151-155.