Claudia dos Santos

MD, MSc, BSc

Scientist

Biography

My major research interest is in acute lung injury, which can be caused by either biomolecular or biophysical insults to the lungs, such as an infection or the mechanical injury resulting from mechanical ventilation itself. My lab is dedicated to understanding the interaction between patients and the breathing machine and finding new ways to identify individuals who are at higher risk for developing lung injury, in addition to diagnosing, treating and monitoring improvement from injury. To accomplish our goals, we have developed various model systems from basic epithelial cell stretch models to animal models of lung injury. We exploit whole genome approaches, such as microarray technology, to identify novel molecular targets and use various computational strategies to analyze our data. We are also interested in understanding how and why critically ill patients develop multi-organ failure. To answer some of the more complex questions, my lab also collaborates actively with clinical researchers involved in state of the art clinical trials related to novel mechanical ventilation strategies.

Recent Publications

  1. Rolandsson Enes, S, Dzneladze, I, Hampton, TH, Neff, SL, Asarian, L, Barua, J et al.. Acute respiratory distress vs healthy lung environments differently affect mesenchymal stromal cell extracellular vesicle miRNAs. Cytotherapy. 2025; :. doi: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2025.01.006. PubMed PMID:39945694 .
  2. Soussi, S, Tarvasmäki, T, Kimmoun, A, Ahmadiankalati, M, Azibani, F, Dos Santos, CC et al.. Identifying biomarker-driven subphenotypes of cardiogenic shock: analysis of prospective cohorts and randomized controlled trials. EClinicalMedicine. 2025;79 :103013. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.103013. PubMed PMID:39802301 PubMed Central PMC11718329.
  3. Tunstead, C, Volkova, E, Dunbar, H, Hawthorne, IJ, Bell, A, Crowe, L et al.. The ARDS microenvironment enhances MSC-induced repair via VEGF in experimental acute lung inflammation. Mol Ther. 2024;32 (10):3422-3432. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.08.003. PubMed PMID:39108095 PubMed Central PMC11489539.
  4. Mahmud, MA, Xu, LH, Usatinsky, A, Dos Santos, CC, Little, DJ, Tsai, SSH et al.. Semiquantitative Paper-Based Microfluidic Surrogate Virus Neutralization Test for SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies. Anal Chem. 2024;96 (29):11751-11759. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01165. PubMed PMID:38980117 .
  5. Palomino-Padilla, S, Caceres-Cardenas, G, Calderon, R, Ko, AC, Garnett, L, Doan, K et al.. Original article: novelty of Canadian manufacture nasopharyngeal swabs for collection of samples being tested for SARS-CoV-2 in a pandemic setting. Front Public Health. 2024;12 :1344295. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1344295. PubMed PMID:38784579 PubMed Central PMC11111943.
  6. Cani, E, Tsang, JLY, Binnie, A, Dos Santos, CC, Fowler, R, Lamontagne, F et al.. Barriers to participation in biosampling-based translational research: A cross-sectional survey of Canadian critical care researchers. PLoS One. 2024;19 (5):e0303304. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303304. PubMed PMID:38758919 PubMed Central PMC11101101.
  7. Lu, RXZ, Rafatian, N, Zhao, Y, Wagner, KT, Beroncal, EL, Li, B et al.. Cardiac tissue model of immune-induced dysfunction reveals the role of free mitochondrial DNA and the therapeutic effects of exosomes. Sci Adv. 2024;10 (13):eadk0164. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adk0164. PubMed PMID:38536913 PubMed Central PMC10971762.
  8. Vaswani, CM, Simone, J, Pavelick, JL, Wu, X, Tan, GW, Ektesabi, AM et al.. Tiny Guides, Big Impact: Focus on the Opportunities and Challenges of miR-Based Treatments for ARDS. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25 (5):. doi: 10.3390/ijms25052812. PubMed PMID:38474059 PubMed Central PMC10931977.
  9. Hum, C, Tahir, U, Mei, SHJ, Champagne, J, Fergusson, DA, Lalu, M et al.. Efficacy and Safety of Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapy in Preclinical Models of Sepsis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Stem Cells Transl Med. 2024;13 (4):346-361. doi: 10.1093/stcltm/szae003. PubMed PMID:38381583 PubMed Central PMC11016835.
  10. Paes Leme, AF, Yokoo, S, Normando, AGC, Ormonde, JVS, Domingues, RR, Cruz, FF et al.. Proteomics of serum-derived extracellular vesicles are associated with the severity and different clinical profiles of patients with COVID-19: An exploratory secondary analysis. Cytotherapy. 2024;26 (5):444-455. doi: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2024.02.001. PubMed PMID:38363248 .
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Affiliations & Other Activities

  • Scientist, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital
  • Clinician Scientist, Research, University of Toronto
  • Associate Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
  • Member, Collaborative Graduate Program in Genome Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Toronto