
Research Interest
Immunology, Inflammation, Stem Cells and Cardiovascular Disease
Biography
Selected Publications
In 1994, Dr. Arman Saparov immigrated to the United States and completed his Post-Doctoral training at the School of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In 1998, he was promoted to a permanent faculty position at the same institution.
From 2001 to 2007, Dr. Saparov held various leadership positions at Xenogen Biosciences, located in greater Princeton area, New Jersey. During his employment at Xenogen, he led research projects in the areas of immunology, inflammation, cell technology and genetic engineering. The main purpose of his research was to determine the molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis and to define the effect of genes on the initiation and development of various diseases including cardiovascular diseases, lung inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, encephalitis and others. Dr. Saparov also managed research that tested new drugs for the treatment of the diseases mentioned above. In his projects, he collaborated with some of the largest pharmaceutical companies of the world, including Pfizer, Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Schering Plough.
In 2007, Dr. Saparov joined Partners HealthCare System, a not-for-profit integrated health system founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, teaching affiliates of Harvard Medical School and a global leader in quality patient care, medical education and biomedical research.
Before joining Nazarbayev University in 2010, Dr. Saparov served as an Executive Director of the National Medical Holding (MNH), a joint-stock company that manages six state-of-the-art hospitals in Astana. He was a member of the Governing Board at NMH and Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Medical University of Astana. At Nazarbayev University, Dr. Saparov served as a Director of a newly created Directorate of the Integrated Academic Health System, an Acting Dean of NU Foundation, a Pre-Medicine Program Director, an Acting Chair of the Biology Department at the School of Science and Technology, and a Chief Executive Director at the School of Medicine.
From 2001 to 2007, Dr. Saparov held various leadership positions at Xenogen Biosciences, located in greater Princeton area, New Jersey. During his employment at Xenogen, he led research projects in the areas of immunology, inflammation, cell technology and genetic engineering. The main purpose of his research was to determine the molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis and to define the effect of genes on the initiation and development of various diseases including cardiovascular diseases, lung inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, encephalitis and others. Dr. Saparov also managed research that tested new drugs for the treatment of the diseases mentioned above. In his projects, he collaborated with some of the largest pharmaceutical companies of the world, including Pfizer, Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Schering Plough.
In 2007, Dr. Saparov joined Partners HealthCare System, a not-for-profit integrated health system founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, teaching affiliates of Harvard Medical School and a global leader in quality patient care, medical education and biomedical research.
Before joining Nazarbayev University in 2010, Dr. Saparov served as an Executive Director of the National Medical Holding (MNH), a joint-stock company that manages six state-of-the-art hospitals in Astana. He was a member of the Governing Board at NMH and Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Medical University of Astana. At Nazarbayev University, Dr. Saparov served as a Director of a newly created Directorate of the Integrated Academic Health System, an Acting Dean of NU Foundation, a Pre-Medicine Program Director, an Acting Chair of the Biology Department at the School of Science and Technology, and a Chief Executive Director at the School of Medicine.
Research interests
The pathological progression following myocardial infarction (MI) is very complex and involves a number of cell populations including cells localized within the heart, as well as cells recruited from circulation and other tissues that participate in inflammatory and reparative processes. These cells, with their secretory factors, have pleiotropic effects that depend on the stage of inflammation and regeneration. Excessive inflammation leads to enlargement of the infarction site, pathological remodeling and eventually, heart dysfunction. Stem cell therapy represents a unique and innovative approach to ameliorate oxidative stress and inflammation caused by ischemic heart disease. Consequently, it is crucial to understand the crosstalk between stem cells and other cells involved in post-MI cardiac tissue repair, especially immune cells, in order to harness the beneficial effects of the immune response following MI and further improve stem cell-mediated cardiac regeneration.
Dr. Saparov’s current areas of research interests are:
Dr. Saparov’s current areas of research interests are:
- engineering an optimal cellular preconditioning system to maximize the in vitro production of cardioprotective and immunomodulatory factors by human perivascular stem cells (PSC);
- the benefits of using a novel controlled release system to deliver human PSC-derived cardioprotective and immunomodulatory factors for the treatment of MI;
- mechanisms by which human PSC-derived factors mediate their effects and ameliorate inflammation following MI.
1. Saparov A , Ogay V, Nurgozhin T, Chen WC, Mansurov N, Issabekova A, Zhakupova J. Role of the immune system in cardiac tissue damage and repair following myocardial infarction. Inflammation Research, 2017, doi: 10.1007/s00011-017-1060-4;
2. Mansurov N, Chen CWC, Awada H, Huard J, Wang Y, Saparov A. A controlled release system for simultaneous delivery of three human perivascular stem cell-derived factors for tissue repair and regeneration. Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 2017, May 8. doi: 10.1002/term.2451;
3. Jumabay M, Zhumabai J, Mansurov N, Niklason KC, Guihard PJ, Fogelman AM, Iruela-Arispe L, Yao Y, Saparov A, Boström KI. Combined effects of bone morphogenetic protein 10 and crossveinless-2 on cardiomyocyte differentiation in mouse adipocyte-derived stem cells. Journal of Cellular Physiology, 2017, May 2. doi: 10.1002/jcp.25983;
4. Saparov A, Ogay V, Nurgozhin T, Jumabay M, Chen CW. Preconditioning of human mesenchymal stem cells to enhance their regulation of the immune response. Stem Cells International, 2016, 2016: 3924858. Epub 2016 Oct 16;
5. Chen WC, Saparov A, Corselli M, Crisan M, Zheng B, Péault B, Huard J. Isolation of blood-vessel-derived multipotent precursors from human skeletal muscle. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2014 Aug 21; (90): e51195. doi: 10.3791/51195;
6. Saparov A, Chen CW, Beckman SA, Wang Y, Huard J. The role of antioxidation and immunomodulation in postnatal multipotent stem cell-mediated cardiac repair. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2013, 14, 16258-16279;
7. Chen CW, Okada M, Proto JD, Gao X, Sekiya N, Beckman SA, Corselli M, Crisan M, Saparov A, Tobita K, Péault B, Huard J. Human pericytes for ischemic heart repair. Stem Cells, 2013, 31(2):305-16;
8. Hayward MD, Jones BK, Saparov A, Hain HS, Trillat AC, etc. An extensive phenotypic characterization of the hTNF-alpha transgenic mice. BMC Physiology, 2007, 7: 13-28;
9. Hurez V, Saparov A, Tousson A, Fuller MJ, Kubo T, Oliver J, Weaver BT, Weaver CT. Restricted clonal expression of IL-2 by naive T cells reflects differential dynamic interactions with dendritic cells. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2003, 198(1): 123-32;
10. Zhu H, Yang J, Murphy TL, Ouyang W, Wagner F, Saparov A, Weaver CT, Murphy KM. Unexpected characteristics of the IFN-gamma reporters in nontransformed T cells. Journal of Immunology, 2001 Jul 15; 167(2): 855-65;
11. Saparov A, Kraus LA, Cong Y, Marwill J, Xu XY, Elson CO, Weaver CT. Memory/effector T cells in TCR transgenic mice develop via recognition of enteric antigens by a second, endogenous TCR. International Immunology, 1999 Aug; 11(8): 1253-64;
12. Saparov A, Wagner FH, Zheng R, Oliver JR, Maeda H, Hockett RD, Weaver CT. Interleukin-2 expression by a subpopulation of primary T cells is linked to enhanced memory/effector function. Immunity, 1999, 11(3): 271-80;
13. Weaver CT, Saparov A, Kraus LA, Rogers WO, Hockett RD, Bucy RP. Heterogeneity in the clonal T cell response. Implications for models of T cell activation and cytokine phenotype development. Immunological Research, 1998; 17(3): 279-302;
14. Saparov A, Elson CO, Devore-Carter D, Bucy RP, Weaver CT. Single-cell analyses of CD4+ T cells from alpha beta T cell receptor-transgenic mice: a distinct mucosal cytokine phenotype in the absence of transgene-specific antigen. European Journal of Immunology, 1997 Jul; 27(7): 1774-81.
3. Jumabay M, Zhumabai J, Mansurov N, Niklason KC, Guihard PJ, Fogelman AM, Iruela-Arispe L, Yao Y, Saparov A, Boström KI. Combined effects of bone morphogenetic protein 10 and crossveinless-2 on cardiomyocyte differentiation in mouse adipocyte-derived stem cells. Journal of Cellular Physiology, 2017, May 2. doi: 10.1002/jcp.25983;
4. Saparov A, Ogay V, Nurgozhin T, Jumabay M, Chen CW. Preconditioning of human mesenchymal stem cells to enhance their regulation of the immune response. Stem Cells International, 2016, 2016: 3924858. Epub 2016 Oct 16;
5. Chen WC, Saparov A, Corselli M, Crisan M, Zheng B, Péault B, Huard J. Isolation of blood-vessel-derived multipotent precursors from human skeletal muscle. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2014 Aug 21; (90): e51195. doi: 10.3791/51195;
6. Saparov A, Chen CW, Beckman SA, Wang Y, Huard J. The role of antioxidation and immunomodulation in postnatal multipotent stem cell-mediated cardiac repair. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2013, 14, 16258-16279;
7. Chen CW, Okada M, Proto JD, Gao X, Sekiya N, Beckman SA, Corselli M, Crisan M, Saparov A, Tobita K, Péault B, Huard J. Human pericytes for ischemic heart repair. Stem Cells, 2013, 31(2):305-16;
8. Hayward MD, Jones BK, Saparov A, Hain HS, Trillat AC, etc. An extensive phenotypic characterization of the hTNF-alpha transgenic mice. BMC Physiology, 2007, 7: 13-28;
9. Hurez V, Saparov A, Tousson A, Fuller MJ, Kubo T, Oliver J, Weaver BT, Weaver CT. Restricted clonal expression of IL-2 by naive T cells reflects differential dynamic interactions with dendritic cells. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2003, 198(1): 123-32;
10. Zhu H, Yang J, Murphy TL, Ouyang W, Wagner F, Saparov A, Weaver CT, Murphy KM. Unexpected characteristics of the IFN-gamma reporters in nontransformed T cells. Journal of Immunology, 2001 Jul 15; 167(2): 855-65;
11. Saparov A, Kraus LA, Cong Y, Marwill J, Xu XY, Elson CO, Weaver CT. Memory/effector T cells in TCR transgenic mice develop via recognition of enteric antigens by a second, endogenous TCR. International Immunology, 1999 Aug; 11(8): 1253-64;
12. Saparov A, Wagner FH, Zheng R, Oliver JR, Maeda H, Hockett RD, Weaver CT. Interleukin-2 expression by a subpopulation of primary T cells is linked to enhanced memory/effector function. Immunity, 1999, 11(3): 271-80;
13. Weaver CT, Saparov A, Kraus LA, Rogers WO, Hockett RD, Bucy RP. Heterogeneity in the clonal T cell response. Implications for models of T cell activation and cytokine phenotype development. Immunological Research, 1998; 17(3): 279-302;
14. Saparov A, Elson CO, Devore-Carter D, Bucy RP, Weaver CT. Single-cell analyses of CD4+ T cells from alpha beta T cell receptor-transgenic mice: a distinct mucosal cytokine phenotype in the absence of transgene-specific antigen. European Journal of Immunology, 1997 Jul; 27(7): 1774-81.