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Agnieszka Swiatecka-Urban

Agnieszka Swiatecka-Urban

Professor, Pediatrics- Nephrology

Email
[email protected]
Website
https://www.pediatrics.pitt.edu/nephrology/research/urban-lab

Bio & Overview

Agnieszka Swiatecka-Urban studied the regulation of cell-surface stability and intracellular trafficking of membrane proteins in epithelial cells. One focus of her research activity has been the characterization of mechanisms and pathways that regulate the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in order to improve treatment strategies for cystic fibrosis (CF). Swiatecka-Urban has also used her expertise to address a significant unmet need of patients with nephrotic syndrome, a severe form of kidney disease responsible for 20% of pediatric kidney failure. She has been studying the role of protein-protein interactions in the dynamic regulation of nephrin in the podocyte slit diaphragm—an intercellular junction, which is compromised in nephrotic syndrome. Swiatecka-Urban’s work on both nephrin and CFTR has resulted in several successful research awards. Her research was supported by an NIH R56 Award, an NIH P30 Pilot and Feasibility Sub-award, an NIH Cooperative Agreement Sub-award, and an American Heart Association grant. Finally, she led the University of Pittsburgh site for the CureGlomerulopathy (CureGN) network cohort study–a multicenter, prospective cohort observational study for patients with nephrotic syndrome.

Academic Information

Department
Pediatrics- Nephrology

Primary Education

  • MD, Medicine, Academia Medica Gedanensisnull

Research Interests

Regulation of cell-surface stability and intracellular trafficking of membrane proteins in epithelial cells

Research Disciplines

  • Biochemistry
  • Bioinformatics and Genomics
  • Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Computational Biology
  • Epigenetics
  • Genetics
  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Molecular Pharmacology
  • Molecular and Cellular Physiology
  • Physiology

Research Opportunities

  • Bioinformatics & Genomics
  • Cell Biology
  • Computational Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Physiological Basis of Human Disease

PhD Programs

  • Cell Biology

Selected Publications

2024

Hejenkowska, E. D., Yavuz, H., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2024). Beyond Borders of the Cell: How Extracellular Vesicles Shape COVID-19 for People with Cystic Fibrosis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES, 25(7). doi:10.3390/ijms25073713

2021

Cruz, D. F., Mitash, N., Mu, F., Farinha, C. M., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2021). Differential Gene Expression Analysis Reveals Global LMTK2 Regulatory Network and Its Role in TGF-β1 Signaling. FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY, 11. doi:10.3389/fonc.2021.596861

2020

Mitash, N., Donovan, J. E., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2020). The Ago2-miRNA-co-IP Assay to Study TGF- β1 Mediated Recruitment of miRNA to the RISC in CFBE Cells Nilay. JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS, (161). doi:10.3791/61571

Mitash, N., E Donovan, J., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2020). The Role of MicroRNA in the Airway Surface Liquid Homeostasis.. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(11), E3848. doi:10.3390/ijms21113848

Narla, D., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2020). Therapeutic Response to Corticosteroids Remains a Valid Approach to Initial Management of Children With Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome. FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS, 8. doi:10.3389/fped.2020.00533

2019

Ashoor, I. F., Mansfield, S. A., O'Shaughnessy, M. M., Parekh, R. S., Zee, J., Vasylyeva, T. L., . . . Guay-Woodford, L. M. (2019). Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Childhood Glomerular Diseases. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, 8(14). doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.012143

Espiritu, E. B., Jiang, H., Moreau-Marquis, S., Sullivan, M., Yan, K., Stolz, D. B., . . . Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2019). The human nephrin Y1139RSL motif is essential for podocyte foot process organization and slit diaphragm formation during glomerular development. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 294(28), 10773-10788. doi:10.1074/jbc.RA119.008235

Canetta, P. A., Troost, J. P., Mahoney, S., Kogon, A. J., Carlozzi, N., Bartosh, S. M., . . . Zinsser, D. (2019). Health-related quality of life in glomerular disease. KIDNEY INTERNATIONAL, 95(5), 1209-1224. doi:10.1016/j.kint.2018.12.018

Cruz, D. F., Farinha, C. M., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2019). Unraveling the Function of Lemur Tyrosine Kinase 2 Network. FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY, 10. doi:10.3389/fphar.2019.00024

2018

Mariani, L. H., Bomback, A. S., Canetta, P. A., Flessner, M. F., Helmuth, M., Hladunewich, M. A., . . . Zinsser, D. (2019). CureGN Study Rationale, Design, and Methods: Establishing a Large Prospective Observational Study of Glomerular Disease. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF KIDNEY DISEASES, 73(2), 218-229. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2018.07.020

Formeck, C., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2019). Extra-renal manifestations of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY, 34(8), 1337-1348. doi:10.1007/s00467-018-4039-7

Selewski, D. T., Ambruzs, J. M., Appel, G. B., Bomback, A. S., Matar, R. B., Cai, Y., . . . Kiryluk, K. (2018). Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Patterns of Children and Adults With IgA Nephropathy or IgA Vasculitis: Findings From the CureGN Study. KIDNEY INTERNATIONAL REPORTS, 3(6), 1373-1384. doi:10.1016/j.ekir.2018.07.021

De Santi, C., Gadi, S., Swiatecka-Urban, A., & Greene, C. M. (2018). Identification of a novel functional miR-143-5p recognition element in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator 3'UTR. AIMS GENETICS, 5(1), 53-62. doi:10.3934/genet.2018.1.53

2017

Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2017). Endocytic Trafficking at the Mature Podocyte Slit Diaphragm. FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS, 5. doi:10.3389/fped.2017.00032

Woroniecki, R. P., Swiatecka-Urban, A., & Kaskel, F. J. (2017). Editorial: Nephrotic Syndrome in Pediatric Patients. FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS, 5. doi:10.3389/fped.2017.00167

2016

Joyce, E., Glasner, P., Ranganathan, S., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2017). Tubulointerstitial nephritis: diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring. PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY, 32(4), 577-587. doi:10.1007/s00467-016-3394-5

Farinha, C. M., Swiatecka-Urban, A., Brautigan, D. L., & Jordan, P. (2016). Regulatory Crosstalk by Protein Kinases on CFTR Trafficking and Activity. FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY, 4. doi:10.3389/fchem.2016.00001

2014

Luz, S., Cihil, K. M., Brautigan, D. L., Amaral, M. D., Farinha, C. M., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2014). LMTK2-mediated Phosphorylation Regulates CFTR Endocytosis in Human Airway Epithelial Cells. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 289(21), 15080-15093. doi:10.1074/jbc.M114.563742

2013

Cihil, K. M., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2013). The Cell-based L-Glutathione Protection Assays to Study Endocytosis and Recycling of Plasma Membrane Proteins. JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS, (82). doi:10.3791/50867

Cihil, K. M., Zimnik, A., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2013). c-Cbl reduces stability of rescued ∆F508-CFTR in human airway epithelial cells: Implications for cystic fibrosis treatment.. Communicative & integrative biology, 6(2), e23094. doi:10.4161/cib.23094

Snodgrass, S. M., Cihil, K. M., Cornuet, P. K., Myerburg, M. M., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2013). Tgf-β1 Inhibits Cftr Biogenesis and Prevents Functional Rescue of ΔF508-Cftr in Primary Differentiated Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells. PLOS ONE, 8(5). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063167

2012

Madden, D. R., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2012). Tissue-specific control of CFTR endocytosis by Dab2: Cargo recruitment as a therapeutic target.. Communicative & integrative biology, 5(5), 473-476. doi:10.4161/cib.21375

Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2013). Membrane trafficking in podocyte health and disease. PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY, 28(9), 1723-1737. doi:10.1007/s00467-012-2281-y

Cihil, K. M., Ellinger, P., Fellows, A., Stolz, D. B., Madden, D. R., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2012). Disabled-2 Protein Facilitates Assembly Polypeptide-2-independent Recruitment of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator to Endocytic Vesicles in Polarized Human Airway Epithelial Cells. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 287(18), 15087-15099. doi:10.1074/jbc.M112.341875

2010

Ye, S., Cihil, K., Stolz, D. B., Pilewski, J. M., Stanton, B. A., & Swiatecka-Urban, A. (2010). c-Cbl Facilitates Endocytosis and Lysosomal Degradation of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator in Human Airway Epithelial Cells. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 285(35), 27008-27018. doi:10.1074/jbc.M110.139881