Episode 15 Dr. Matthew Spite: "Resolvins, Vascular Inflammation & the Power of Resolution Biology" In this episode of the SPM Podcast, we welcome Dr. Matthew Spite, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Lead Investigator of the Spite Lab in the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury (CETRI) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Spite is a leading expert in specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), vascular biology, and inflammation resolution. During his postdoctoral training in Charles Serhan’s laboratory, he contributed to the structural and functional elucidation of key SPMs, including Resolvin D2 (RvD2) and Maresin 1 (MaR1). His independent research investigates how these mediators and their receptors regulate innate immunity, limit vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis, support tissue repair and revascularization, and influence metabolic health including studies on adipose tissue SPM biosynthesis, exercise, brown adipose tissue activation, and RvD2 signaling via the GPR18 receptor on myeloid cells. In this conversation we discuss: • Early interests (music vs. science) and the path from chemistry at Indiana University to biophysics/physiology at the University of Louisville • Mentorship under Arun Bhatnagar and first exposure to lipid biochemistry and mass spectrometry • Discovering Charles Serhan’s work and joining the lab that was rewriting the paradigm of inflammation • Contributions to the early characterization of Resolvin D2 and Maresin 1 • Current focus of the Spite Lab at Harvard / BWH / CETRI • SPMs in vascular inflammation, atherosclerosis, and post-ischemic tissue repair • Resolvin biosynthesis in adipose tissue, effects of exercise, and brown fat activation • RvD2–GPR18 signaling in myeloid cells • Translational potential of resolution pharmacology for chronic inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases • Balancing independent research, mentoring, and collaboration • Personal side and what keeps him grounded Key Papers Foundational SPM elucidations (Serhan Lab era) • Spite M, Norling LV, Summers L, et al. Resolvin D2 is a potent regulator of leukocytes and controls microbial sepsis. Nature. 2009;461(7268):1287–1291. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2779525/ • Serhan CN, Yang R, Martinod K, Kasuga K, Pillai PS, Porter TF, Oh SF, Spite M. Maresins: novel macrophage mediators with potent antiinflammatory and proresolving actions. Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2009;206(1):15–23. https://rupress.org/jem/article/206/1/15/54203/Maresins-novel-macrophage-mediators-with-potent Tissue repair / Muscle regeneration • Giannakis N, Sansbury BE, Patsalos A, et al. Dynamic changes to lipid mediators support transitions among macrophage subtypes during muscle regeneration. Nature Immunology. 2019;20(5):626–636. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-019-0356-7 Vascular / Atherosclerosis & GPR18 signaling • Lipscomb M, Walis S, Marinello M, Mena HA, MacNamara KC, Spite M, Fredman G. Resolvin D2 limits atherosclerosis progression via myeloid cell-GPR18. FASEB Journal. 2024;38(6):e23555. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12679858/
