Nikola Sladojevic

Postdoctoral Scholar

Dr. Sladojevic’s long-term research interest is comprehensive understanding of key molecular mechanism involved in dynamic changes of blood brain barrier in variety of diseases. His previous research has been focused on molecular basis of inflammation in the central nervous system, particularly inflammatory molecular events at the blood brain barrier after stroke.

Dr. Sladojevic’s previous work at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor has been directed towards investigating the molecular mechanisms that underlie the increase of BBB permeability during the brain inflammatory response, focusing specifically on the structural alteration of the cell-cell junction complex. He has investigated two specific processes of remodeling of the tight junction complex during the inflammatory “opening” of BBB: phosphorylation and redistribution of TJ proteins, which causes breaking of the TJ protein interaction and internalization/recycling of TJ proteins during the brain inflammatory response to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Dr. Sladojevic is also interested in the impact of various risk factors of stroke (i.e. cigarette smoking, systematic inflammation, hypertension) on brain microvascular inflammation and aging. His research interest also includes endothelial interaction, formation and regulation of BBB integrity in cerebral cavernous malformations.

Dr. Sladojevic’s current interest builds logically on his prior work. In Dr. James K. Liao’s laboratory at the University of Chicago, his research is focused on investigation of specific molecular mechanisms in neuroinflammation and BBB permeability as well as long term recovery followed ischemic stroke. In addition, we are working on a new strategy to enhance angiogenesis after focal cerebral ischemia providing a unique opportunity to improve clinical outcome. Cross talk between angiogenesis and brain plasticity in remodeling and brain recovery may also provide additional importance of our work in log term stroke recovery.

Phone number: (773) 702-5897 | E-mail: sladojevic@uchicago.edu

Selected Peer-reviewed Publications

1. Cvetkovic T, Dimitrijevic Z, Aracki A, Stefanovic N, Sladojevic N, Topalovic A. The effect of erythropoietin to anemia parameters in hemodialysis patients. Balkan Journal of Clinical Laboratory, 2009, XVII (1):97.

2. Nikola Sladojevic, Marinela Knežević, Jelena Jović, Vidojko Đorđević. Restless legs syndrome in patients on hemodialysis: Frequency, severity and risk factors. Medicinski časopis 2012, vol. 46, iss. 3, pp. 138-144. doi:10.5937/mckg46-2330.

3. Stamatovic SM, Sladojevic N, Keep RF, Andjelkovic AV. Blood brain barrier permeability: from bench to bedside. Management of Epilepsy – Research, Results and Treatment. Mintaze Kerem Gunel (ed), ISBN: 978-953-307-680-5, InTech Open Access.

4. Stamatovic SM, Sladojevic N, Keep RF, Andjelkovic AV. “Relocalization of junctional adhesion molecule-A during inflammatory “opening” of the brain endothelial barrier is associated with internalization via macropynocytosis. Mol. Cell Biol. 2012 doi:10.1128/MCB.06678-11.

5. Nikola Sladojevic. Role of proinflammatory effects of Nicotine on the brain microvasculature in stroke: A literature review. (2013) PONS Med J 10(2);

6. Sladojevic N, Stamatovic SM, Keep RF, Grailer JJ, Sarma JV, Ward PA, Andjelkovic AV. Inhibition of junctional adhesion molecule-A/LFA interaction attenuates leukocyte trafficking and inflammation in brain ischemia/reperfusi on injury. Neurobiol. Dis 2014 Mar 21;67C:57-70. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.03.010.

7. Tatjana Cvetkovic, Radmila Velickovic-Radovanovic, Dijana Stojanovic, Nikola Stefanovic, Aleksandra Ignjatovic, Ivana Stojanovic, Nikola Sladojevic, Dusica Pavlovic. Oxidative and Nitrosative stress in stable renal transplant recipients with respect to the immunosuppression protocol-Differences or similarities? J Med Biochem 2014; 33 DOI: 10.2478/jomb-2014-0047.

8. Svetlana M. Stamatovic, Nikola Sladojevic, Richard F. Keep, Anuska V. Andjelkovic. PDCD10 (CCM3) regulates brain endothelial barrier integrity in cerebral cavernous malformation type 3: role of CCM3-ERK1/2-cortactin crosstalk. Acta Neuropathologica. 2015; DOI 10.1007/s00401-015-1479-z.

9. Stamatovic SM, Johnson AM, Sladojevic N, Keep RF, Andjelkovic AV. Endocytosis of tight junction proteins and the regulation of degradation and recycling. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 00 (2017); doi: 10.1111/nyas.13346

10. Nikola Sladojevic, Goo Taeg Oh, Hyung-Hwan Kim, Lea M. Beaulieu, Hervé Falet, Karol Kaminski, Jane E. Freedman, James K. Liao. Decreased Thromboembolic Stroke but not Atherosclerosis or Vascular Remodeling in Mice with ROCK2-deficient Platelets. Cardiovasc Res. 2017 Sep 1;113(11):1307-1317. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvx071.

11. Nikola Sladojevic, Brian Yu, James K. Liao. ROCK as a therapeutic target for ischemic stroke, Expert Rev Neurother. 2017 Oct 23. doi: 10.1080/14737175.2017.1395700.

12. Yukio Hiroi*, Kensuke Noma*, Hyung-Hwan Kim*, Nikola Sladojevic, Corey E. Tabit, Yuxin Li, Guray Soydan, Salvatore Salomone, Michael A. Moskowitz, James K. Liao. Neuroprotection in Mice with Targeted Deletion of ROCK2 Is Mediated by Upregulation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase. Circulation Journal. CJ-17-0732. In press.

Extramural Invited Presentations

1. Nikola Sladojevic, Svetlana M Stamatovic, Bertram Pitt, Richard F Keep, Anuska V Andjelkovic, Univ of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Protective Effect Of Spironolactone On Cerebral Ischemia/reperfusion Injury In Nicotine Exposed Mice. Poster Presentation. International Stroke Conference, Februar 9 -11, 2011. Los Angeles, USA.

2. Nikola Sladojevic, Svetlana M Stamatovic, Richard F Keep, Anuska V Andjelkovic University of Michigan medical School, Ann Arbor, USA. Inhibition of junctional adhesion molecule-A/LFA interaction attenuate leukocytes trafficking and inflammation in brain ischemic/reperfusion injury. Poster presentation during CVB Conference, June 18-21, 2013 Montreal, Canada.

3. Nikola Sladojevic, James K. Liao. Section of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago. ROCK2 in T Cell differentiation and long-term stroke recovery. Poster presentation during 2015. AHA Research Network Symposium, September 18, 2015 Chicago, USA.

Awards

1. Featured Abstract at 9th Annual Morton F. Arnsdorf Cardiovascular Research Symposium April 20-21,2017, Chicago IL, USA.

2. Featured Abstract at 12th Annual Chicago Diabetes Day, May 13, 2017, Chicago IL, USA.

Funding

1. 17POST33650097 Sladojevic (PI) 2017 – 2019 AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship Novel Strategy to Protect Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity by Modulating RGS5 in Ischemic Stroke