Department Chair

Leo T. Furcht, M.D.
Allen-Pardee Professor and Head, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
612-626-0622
furch001@umn.edu

In addition to his position as head of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Dr. Furcht is chairman of the Board of Directors, University of Minnesota Physicians and President-elect FASEB (Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology). He also has held a Research Career development award and MERIT award from the NCI.

Educational Background

• Columbia University, New York, NY (1964),  B.S. (Pre-Medicine)
• SUNY Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, NY (1972), M.D.
• University of Minnesota (1975), Residency (Clinical Pathology)

Professional Background

• Member, A.O.A. National Medical Honor Society, 1971
• Assistant-Associate Professor, University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, 1975 - 1982
• Professor, University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, 1982 - present
• Endowed Chair, "Allen-Pardee Professor", University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology,1987 - present
• Head, University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, 1990 - present
• Member, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, 1994 - present
• Director and Founder, University of Minnesota, Biomedical Engineering Center, 1989 - 1997
• Director, University of Minnesota, Institute of Medical Biotechnology, 1998 - 2001

Professional Honors

• Recipient Research Career Development Award, NCI/NIH, 1980 - 1985
• Member, Pathology B Study Section Permanent; various ad hoc study sections, NIH, 1982 - 1986
• Recipient NIH/NCI MERIT Award: "Molecular Mechanisms in Metastasis", NIH, 1989 - present
• Member, Pathobiochemistry Study Section, NIH, 1990 - 1993
• NCI Study Section on Program Project - Parent Committee Member, NIH, 1995 - 1999

Research Interests

• tumor cell behavior
• extracellular matrix protein expression
• integrens
• cell adhesion molecules
• wound healing

Publications

Dr. Furcht has extensively published in the areas of the role of chondroitin surface glycosaminoglycan binding site in a4b1 integrin-mediated melanoma cell adhesions, the inhibition of melanoma cell binding to type IV collagen by analogs of CAR (Cell adhesion regulator), laminin peptide amelioration of brain injury by inhibiting leukocyte accumulation in a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia, antagonism of leukocyte adherence by synthetic fibronectin peptide V in a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia and the effects of lovastatin on [3H] thymidine uptake in HTC-4 and LLC-L1 tumor cells.

• Lauer, J. L., Furcht, L.T., and Fields, G.F. Inhibition of melanoma cell binding to type IV collagen by analogs of CAR (Cell adhesion regulator). J. Med. Chem. 40(19):3077-3084, 1997.
• Yanaka, K., Spellman, B.A., Skubitz, A.P.N., Furcht, L.T., Low. W.C., and Camarata, P.J. Laminin peptide ameliorates brain injury by inhibiting leukocyte accumulation in a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia. J. Cerebral Blood Flow & Met. 17(6):605-611, 1997.
• Yanaka, K., Camarata, P.J., Spellmen, S.R., McCarthy, J.B., Furcht, L.T., and Low, W.C. Antagonism of leukocyte adherence by synthetic fibronectin peptide V in a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia. J. Neurosurgical Research. 40(3):557-563, 1997.
• Morris, T.J., Palm, S.L., Furcht, L.T., and Buchwald, H. The effect of lovastatin on [3H]thymidine uptake in HTC-4 and LLC-L1 tumor cells. J. Surgical Research. (61(2):367-372, 1996.
• Iida, J., Meijne, A.M., Knutson, J.R., Furcht, L.T., and McCarthy, J.B. Cell surface chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in tumor cell adhesion, motility and innovation. Seminars in Cancer Biology. 7:155-162, 1996.
• Grab, B., Miles, A.J., Furcht, L.T., and Fields, G.B. Promotion of fibroblast adhesion by triple-helical peptide models of type I collagen-derived sequences. J. of Biological Chemistry. 271(21):12234-12240, 1996.
• Kohler, A.S., Parks, P.J., Mooradian, D.L., Rao, G. and Furcht, L.T. Platelet adhesion on novel phospholipid materials: modified phosphatidylcholine covalently immobilized to silica, polypropylene and PTFE materials. Journal of Biomedical Materials. 32(4), 1996.
• Yanaka, K., Camarata, P.J., Spellman, S.R., McCarthy, J.B., Furcht, L.T., Low, W.C., and Heros, R.C. Neuronal protection from cerebral ischemia by synthetic fibronectin peptides in leukocyte adhesion molecules. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 16:1120-1125, 1996.
• Yanaka, K., Camarata, P.J., Spellmen, S.R., McCarthy, J.B., Furcht, L.T., and Low, W.C. Synthetic fibronetin peptides reduces ischemic brain injury after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. J. Neurosurg. 85:125-130, 1996.
• Miles, A.J., Knutson, J.R., Skubitz, A.P.N., Furcht, L.T., McCarthy, J.B., and Fields, Gregg, B. A peptide model of basement membrane collagen alpha1(IV) 531-543 binds the alpha3 beta1 integrin. Jourrnal of Biological Chemistry 270:29047-29050, 1995.
• Hansen, L.D., O'Leary, J.J., Skubitz, A.P.N., Furcht, L.T. and McCarthy, J.B. Identification of a homologous heparin binding peptide sequence present in fibronectin and the 70 kD family of heat shock proteins. Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1252:135-145, 1995.
• Braunewell, K-H., Pesheva, P., Furcht, L.T., Schmitz, B., and Schachner, M. Functional involvement of sciatic nerve-derived veriscan- and decorin-like molecules and other chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in ECM-mediated cell adhesion and neurite outgrowth. Eur. J. Neurosci. 7:805-814, 1995.
• Iida, J., Meijne, A.M.L., Spiro, R.C., Roos, E., Furcht, L.T., and McCarthy, J.B. Spreading and focal contact formation of human melanoma cells in response to the stimulation of both melanoma-associated proteoglycan (NG2) and a4b1 integrin. Cancer Research 55:2177-2185, 1995.
• Morris, T.J., Palm, S.L., Furcht, L.T., and Buchwald, H. Effect of lovastatin alone and as an adjuvant chemotherapeutic agent on hepatoma tissue culture-4 cell growth. Ann Surg Onc 2(3):266-274, 1995.
• Maldonado, B.A., and Furcht, L.T. Involvement of integrins with adhesion promoting, heparin-binding peptides of type IV collagen in cultured human corneal epithelial cells. Invest. Ophth. & Vis. Science 36:364-372, 1995.
• Maldonado, B.A., and Furcht, L.T. Epidermal growth factor stimulates integrin-mediated cell migration of cultured human corneal epithelial cells on fibronectin and arginine-glycine-aspartic acid peptide. Invest. Ophth. & Vis. Science 36:2120-2126, 1995.
• Miles, A.J., Skubitz, A.P.N., Furcht, L.T., and Fields, G.B. Promotion of cell adhesion by single-stranded and triple-helical peptide models of basement membrane collagen alpha1(IV)531-543. Evidence for conformationally dependent and conformationally independent type IV collagen cell adhesion sites. J. Biol. Chem. 269:30939-30945, 1994.
• Wahl, S.M., Allen, J.B., Hines, K.L., Imamichi, T., Wahl, A.M., Furcht, L.T., and McCarthy, J.B. Synthetic fibronectin peptides suppress arthritis in rats by interrupting leukocyte adhesion and recruitment. J. Clin. Invest. 94:655-662, 1994.
• Wahl, S.M., Allen, J.B., Hines, K.L., Imamichi, T., Wahl, A.M., Furcht, L.T., and McCarthy, J.B. Synthetic fibronectin peptides suppress arthritis in rats by interrupting leukocyte adhesion and recruitment. J. Clin. Invest. 94:655-662, 1994.
• Hines, K.L., Kulkarni, A.B., McCarthy, J.B., Tian, H., Ward, J.M., Christ, M., McCartney-Francis, N.L., Furcht, L.T., Karlsson, S., and Wahl, S.M. Synthetic fibronectin peptides interrupt inflammatory cell infiltration in TGF-beta1 knockout mice. Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA 91:5187-5191, 1994.
• McCarthy, J.B., Skubitz, A.P.N., Furcht, L.T., Wayner, E.A., Iida, J. Coordinate role for proteoglycans and integrins in cell adhesion. In "Cell Adhesion Molecules: Cellular Recognition Mechanisms," M.E. Hemler and E. Mihich, editors. Plenum Publishing, New York, pp. 127-147, 1994.
• Iida, J., Milius, R.P., Oegema, T.R., Furcht, L.T., and McCarthy, J.M. Role of cell surface proteoglycans in tumor cell recognition of fibronectin. Trends in Glycoscience and Glycotechnology 27:1-16, 1994.
• Wilke, M.S., Vespa, J., Skubitz, A.P.N., Furcht, L.T., McCarthy, J.B. Human keratinocytes adhere to and spread on synthetic peptide FN-C/H-V derived from fibronectin. J. Invest. Dermatol. 101:43-48, 1993.
• Drake, S.L., Varnum, J., Mayo, K., Letourneau, P.C., Furcht, L.T., McCarthy, J.B. Structural features of fibronectin synthetic peptide FN-C/H II, responsible for cell adhesion, neurite extension, and heparan sulfate binding. J. Biol. Chem. 268:15859-15867, 1993.
• Fields, C.G., Furcht, L.T., Knutson, J.R., McCarthy, J.B., Mickelson, D.J., Skubitz, A.P.N., Wilke, M.S., and Fields, G.B. The use of non-native and modified amino acids for defining collagen mediated biological activities. Amino Acids 5:210, 1993.
• Fields, C.G., Furcht, L.T., Knutson, J.R., McCarthy, J.B., Mickelson, D.J., Skubitz, A.P.N., Wilke, M.S., and Fields, G.B. The use of non-native and modified amino acids for defining collagen mediated biological activities. Amino Acids 5:210, 1993.
• Woods, A., McCarthy, J.B., Furcht, L.T., Couchman, J.R. A synthetic peptide from the COOH-terminal heparin-binding domain of fibronectin promotes focal adhesion formation. Molecular Biology of the Cell 4:605-613, 1993.
• Mooradian, D.L., McCarthy, J.B., Skubitz, A.P.N., Cameron, D.J., Furcht, L.T. Characterization of FN-C/H-V, a novel synthetic peptide from fibronectin that promotes rabbit corneal epithelial cell adhesion, spreading and motility. Invest. Ophth. & Vis. Science 34:153-164, 1993.
• Mooradian, D.L., McCarthy, J.B., Cameron, J.D., Skubitz, A.P.N., Furcht, L.T. Rabbit corneal epithelial cells adhere to two distinct heparin-binding synthetic peptides derived from fibronectin. Invest. Ophth. & Vis. Sci. 33:3034-3040, 1992.
• Drake, S.L., Klein, D.J., Mickelson, D.J., Oegema, T.R., Furcht, L.T., McCarthy, J.B. Cell surface phosphatidylinositol-anchored heparan sulfate proteoglycan initiates mouse melanoma cell adhesion to a fibronectin-derived, heparin binding synthetic peptide. J. Cell Biol. 117:1331-1341, 1992.
• Mooradian, D.L., McCarthy, J.B., Komanduri, K.V., and Furcht, L.T. Effects of transforming growth factor-ß1 on human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell adhesion, motility and invasion in vitro. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 84:523-527, 1992.
• Mooradian, D.L., Trescony, P., Keeny, K., and Furcht L.T. Effect of glow discharge surface modification of plasma TFE™ vascular graft material on fibronectin and laminin retention and endothelial cell adhesion. J. Surg Res. 53:74-81, 1992.
• Iida, J., Skubitz, A.P.N., Furcht, L.T., Wayner, E.A., and McCarthy, J.B. Coordinate role for cell surface chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan and a4b1 integrin in mediating melanoma cell adhesion to fibronectin. J. Cell Biol. 118:431-444, 1992.
• Haugen, P.K., Letourneau, P.C., Drake, S., Furcht, L.T., McCarthy, J.B. A cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan mediates neural cell adhesion and spreading on a defined sequence from the C-terminal cell and heparin binding domain of fibronectin, FN-C/H II. J. Neurosci. 12:2597-2608, 1992.
• Haugen, P.K., McCarthy, J.B., Roche, K.F., Furcht, L.T. and Letourneau, P.C. Central and peripheral neurite outgrowth differs in preference for heparin-binding versus integrin-binding sequences. J. Neuroscience 12:2034-2042, 1992.
• Gehlsen, K.R., Sriramarao, P., Furcht, L.T., Skubitz, A.P.N. A synthetic peptide derived from the carboxy terminus of the laminin A chain represents a binding site for the a3b1 integrin. J. Cell Biol. 117:449-459, 1992.
• Wilke, M.S., Skubitz, A.P.N., Furcht, L.T., and McCarthy, J.B. Human keratinocytes adhere to two distinct heparin binding synthetic peptides derived from fibronectin. J. Invest. Dermatol. 97:573-579, 1991.
• Burke, C., Mayo, K.H., Skubitz, A.P.N., and Furcht, L.T. 1H-NMR and CD secondary structure analysis of cell adhesion promoting peptide F-9 from laminin. J. Biol Chem. 266:19407-19412, 1991.
• Burke, C., Mayo, K.H., Skubitz, A.P.N., and Furcht, L.T. 1H-NMR and CD secondary structure analysis of cell adhesion promoting peptide F-9 from laminin. J. Biol Chem. 266:19407-19412, 1991.
• Skubitz, A.P.N., Letourneau, P.C., Wayner, E., and Furcht, L.T. Synthetic peptides from the carboxy-terminal globular domain of the A chain of laminin: Their ability to promote cell adhesion and neurite outgrowth, and interact with heparin and the beta1 integrin subunit. J. Cell Biol. 115:1137-1148, 1991.
• Lester, B.R., Weinstein, L.S., McCarthy, J.B., Sun, Z., Smith, R.S., and Furcht, L.T. The role of G-protein in matrix-mediated motility of highly and poorly invasive melanoma cells. Int. J. Cancer 48: 113-120, 1991.
• Brown, D.M., Charonis, A.S., Furcht, L.T., Klein, D.J., Mauer, S.M., Steffes, M.W., and Tsilibary, E.C. An overview of role of matrix components. Diabetes Care 14:157-159, 1991.
• Cameron, J.D., Skubitz, A.P.N., Furcht, L.T. Type IV collagen and corneal epithelial adhesion and migration; effects of Type IV collagen fragments and synthetic peptides on rabbit corneal epithelial cell adhesion and migration In Vitro. Invest. Ophthal. & Visual Sci. 32:2766-2773, 1991.
• McCarthy, J.B., Skubitz, A.P.N., Iida, J., Mooradian, D.L., Wilke, M.S., Furcht, L.T. Tumor cell adhesive mechanisms and their relationship to metastasis. Sem. in Cancer Biol. 2:155-167, 1991.
• Navarro, X., Kennedy, W.R., Stewart, N.J., and Furcht, L.T. Effects of laminin on functional reinnervation of target organs by regenerating axons. NeuroReport 2:37-40, 1991.
• Skubitz, A.P.N., McCarthy, J.B., Zhao, Q., Yi, X., and Furcht, L.T. Definition of a sequence, RYVVLPR, within laminin peptide F-9 that mediates metastatic fibrosarcoma cell adhesion and spreading. Cancer Res. 50:7612-7622, 1990.
• Uhlman, D.L., Mooradian, D.L., Furcht, L.T., and Luikart, S.D. The Effect of Transforming Growth Factor b1 on Glycosaminoglycan Production by Human Marrow Cultures. Experimental Hematology 18:1121-1125, 1990.
• Haugen, P.K., McCarthy, J.B., Skubitz, A.P.N., Furcht, L.T., and Letourneau, P.C. Recognition of the A chain carboxy-terminal heparin binding region of fibronectin involves multiple sites: Two contiguous sequences act independently to promote neural cell adhesion. J. Cell Biol. 111:2733-2745, 1990.
• Wilke, M.S., and Furcht, L.T. Human keratinocytes adhere to a unique heparin-binding peptide sequence within the triple helical region of type IV collagen. J. Invest. Dermatol. 95:264-270, 1990.
• Tsilibary, E.C., Reger, L.A., Vogel, A.M., Koliakos, G.G., Anderson, S.S., Charonis, A.S., Alegre, J.N., and Furcht, L.T. Identification of a multifunctional, cell-binding peptide sequence from the a1(NC1) of type IV collagen. J. Cell Biol. 111:1583-1591, 1990.
• Charonis, A.S., Reger, L.A., Dege, J.E., Kouzi-Koliakos, K., Furcht, L.T., Wohlheuter, R.M., and Tsilibary, E.C. Laminin alterations after in vitro nonenzymatic glucosylation. Diabetes 39:807-814, 1990.
• Chelberg, M.K., McCarthy, J.B., Skubitz, A.P.N., Furcht, L.T. and Tsilibary, E.C. Characterization of a synthetic peptide from type IV collagen that promotes melanoma cell adhesion, spreading, and motility. J. Cell Biol. 111:261-270, 1990.
• Luikart, S.D., Maniglia, C.A., Furcht, L.T., McCarthy, J.B., and Oegema, T.R. A heparan sulfate-containing fraction of bone marrow stroma induces maturation of HL-60 cells in vitro. Cancer Res. 50:3781-3785, 1990.
• Eisenmann, K.M., McCarthy, J.B., Simpson, M.A., Keely, P.J., Guan, J-L., Tachibana, K., Lim, L., Manser, E., Furcht, L.T. and J. Iida. 1999. Melanoma chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan regulates cell spreading through Cdc42, Ack-1 and p130cas. Nature Cell Biology 1:507-513.
• Reiland, J., Furcht, L.T., and McCarthy, J.B. CXC-chemokines stimulate invasion and chemotaxis in prostate carcinoma cells through the CXCR2 receptor. Prostate 41:78-88, 1999.
• Iida, J., Pei, D., Kang, T., Simpson, M.A., Herlyn, M., Furcht, L.T. and J.B. McCarthy. 2001. Melanoma chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan regulates matrix metalloproteinase-dependent human melanoma invasion into type I collagen. J. Biol. Chem. 276:18786-94.
• Simpson, M.A., Reiland, J., Burger, S.R., Furcht, L.T., Spicer, A.P., Oegema, T.R. Jr., and McCarthy, J.B. 2001. Hyaluronan synthase elevation in metastatic prostate carcinoma cells correlates with hyaluronan surface retention, a prerequisite for rapid adhesion to bone marrow endothelial cells. J. Biol. Chem. 276:17949-57.
• De Larco, J.E., Wuertz, B.R., Manivel, J.C., and Furcht L.T. 2001. Progression and enhancement of metastatic potential after exposure of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agents. Cancer Research 61:2857-61.
• De Larco, J.E., Wuertz, B.R., Rosner, K.A., Erickson, S.A., Gamache, D.E., Manivel, J.C., and Furcht L.T. 2001. A potential role for interleukin-8 in the metastatic phenotype of breast carcinoma cells. Amer. J. Pathol. 158:639-46.
• Iida, J., Meijne, A.M., Oegema, T.R. Jr., Yednock, T.A., Kovach, N.L., Furcht, L.T., McCarthy, J.B. 1998. A role of chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan binding site in alpha4beta1 integrin-mediated melanoma cell adhesion. J. Biol. Chem. 273:5955-62.
• Duan, W.M., Zhao, L.R., Westerman, M., Lovick, D., Furcht, L.T., McCarthy, J.B., and Low, W.C. 2000. Enhancement of nigral graft survival in rat brain with the systemic administration of synthetic fibronectin peptide V. Neuroscience 100:521-30.