Coagulation signaling in innate immunity

The hemostatic system is comprised of the coagulation and fibrinolytic protease cascades and supports inflammatory and immune reactions during infection and tissue injury. We are broadly interested in understanding the cellular and molecular connections between coagulation and inflammation. This includes understanding how inflammatory processes contribute to the initiation of coagulation, the roles of tissue factor and coagulation protease signalling networks in the integration and modulation of inflammatory stimuli in immune cells, and how macrophage phenotypes are controlled by coagulation proteases in chronic inflammation. We investigate these questions using a combination genetic, transcriptional and proteomics tools.

Research website

Position

  • Since 2014: Scientific Director, Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz
  • Since 2013: Alexander von Humboldt Professor, Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz
  • Since 2007: Margaret Thatcher Professor of Biological Chemistry, Thrombosis Research Institute, London, U.K.
  • Since 2005: Professor of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
  • 1992 - 2005: Assistant to Associate Professor, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
  • 1990 - 1992: Senior Research Associate, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
  • 1988 - 1990: DFG Exchange Visitor, Department of Immunology, Scripps Clinic
  • 1987 - 1988: Research Associate, Max-Planck Society

Education

  • 1987: Dr. med. (summa cum laude) Justus-Liebig University, Giessen; Advisor: Prof. Müller-Berghaus, Max-Planck Society
  • 1984 - 1986: Doctoral Fellowship, Max-Planck Society
  • 1977 - 1984: Medicine, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen

Selected publications by Wolfram Ruf

Graf C, Wilgenbus P, Pagel S, Pott J, Marini F, Reyda S, Kitano M, Macher-Göppinger S, Weiler H, Ruf W (2019) Myeloid cell-synthesized coagulation factor X dampens antitumor immunity. Sci Immunol, 4(39):eaaw8405 Link

Müller-Calleja N, Hollerbach A, Ritter S, Pedrosa DG, Strand D, Graf C, Reinhardt C, Strand S, Poncelet P, Griffin JH, Lackner KJ, Ruf W (2019) Tissue factor pathway inhibitor primes monocytes for antiphospholipid antibody-induced thrombosis. Blood, 134(14):1119-1131 Link

Rothmeier AS, Liu E, Chakrabarty S, Disse J, Mueller BM, Ostergaard H, Ruf W (2018) Identification of the integrin-binding site on coagulation factor VIIa required for proangiogenic PAR2 signalingBlood, 131(6):674-685 Link

Nguyen TS, Lapidot T, Ruf W (2018) Extravascular coagulation in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell regulationBlood, 132(2):123-131 Link

Subramaniam S, Jurk K, Hobohm L, Jäckel S, Saffarzadeh M, Schwierczek K, Wenzel P, Langer F, Reinhardt C, Ruf W (2017) Distinct contributions of complement factors to platelet activation and fibrin formation in venous thrombus developmentBlood, 129: 2291-2302 Link