The laboratory of Andrew Plaut, MD at Tufts Medical Center is focused the area of mucosal immunology and microbiology, and he is presently focused on diseases mediated by IgA deposition into tissues, most notably the kidney disease IgA nephropathy (Berger’s disease). This is a leading cause of glomerulonephritis worldwide and the most common cause of kidney failure based on injury to the kidney glomeruli.

Dr. Plaut and his colleague Dr. Jiazhou Qiu are developing bacterial IgA proteases for treatment of these disorders, with the intent to reverse the kidney inflammation that leads to kidney failure. Earlier, Dr. Plaut collaborated with Dr. William Bachovchin at Tufts University’s Department of Biochemistry in developing the DPPIV inhibitory drugs now being used to treat Type II diabetes.

Dr. Plaut is a staff physician with particular interests in digestive diseases, specifically those patients who have unexplained abdominal pain, diarrhea, abnormal digestion and absorption from the intestine and inflammatory diseases of both the upper and lower intestine, including inflammatory bowel disease.

Over the past 3 decades, Professor Mason has directed a research program whose focus is identifying and implementing nutritional and dietary strategies to prevent colorectal cancer. This research program is based at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, an institutional partnership between Tufts University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is housed in a 14-story research facility across from Tufts Medical Center. 

Dr. Mason's research laboratory has been primarily interested in examining the roles that 1-carbon nutrients (vitamins B2, B6, B12, and folate) and obesity play in determining the risk of cancer and how knowledge of the mechanisms by which these factors determine risk can be exploited to reduce the societal burden of colorectal cancer. He conducts studies in cell culture and animal disease models and uses information from these preclinical studies to inform his studies in humans. He has served as a consultant to the U.S. Government in developing the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans on these matters and the European Food Safety Authority, the European equivalent to the U.S. FDA.      

Tufts Medical Center’s Gastroenterology Research on Absorptive and Secretory Processes (GRASP) Center brings together scientists from throughout the Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine to conduct research on digestive diseases. The GRASP Center is one of 15 digestive diseases research centers in the US funded by the NIH.

Established in 1984, our practice consists of four core laboratories that support research of about 35-40 physician-researchers. These cores provide laboratory services, advice and expertise in state-of-the-art methods for basic research.

The GRASP Center also has pilot/feasibility funds to support new research in digestive diseases by seasoned and young researchers at Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine. We also sponsor many research seminars and workshops throughout the year.

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