Ruan Retires from UHCOP After 18 Years of Teaching, Mentorship and Research

Jan. 29 — After nearly two decades of exemplary service, teaching, and groundbreaking research, Ke-He Ruan, M.D., Ph.D., retired from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy (UHCOP) on Jan. 15. Dr. Ruan’s tenure as a professor, researcher, and mentor has left an indelible mark on the fields of pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and vascular biology.

Academic Journey

After earning his M.D. from Fujian Medical University in China and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from the Medical College of Miyazaki in Japan, he completed a fellowship in biochemistry at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Before joining UHCOP as a professor in 2007, Dr. Ruan served as a tenured faculty member in the Department of Internal Medicine at UTHealth Houston, where he rose through the ranks from assistant professor to associate professor and to tenured between 1991 and 2007.

During this period, Dr. Ruan also served as associate director and later director of the Vascular Biology Course at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, a joint graduate school between UTHealth and The University of Texas-M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Additionally, he has been a member of the Texas Heart Institute since 2005. At UHCOP, Dr. Ruan held prominent roles, including director of the Center for Pharmacoinformatics and Experimental Therapeutics, and was a member of the UH Drug Discovery Institute.

Research and Scientific Contributions

Dr. Ruan’s research has been instrumental in advancing the understanding of the molecular and cellular regulation of lipid metabolites, particularly through the cyclooxygenase pathway. His work on prostacyclin (PGI2), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) has illuminated their crucial roles in vascular and neuronal diseases.

One of Dr. Ruan’s landmark achievements is the engineering of the Single-Chain Hybrid Enzyme Complex, also known as Enzymelink technology. These innovative enzymes, with triple catalytic functions, have revolutionized the control of arachidonic acid metabolites. Enzymelink selectively enhances PGI2 biosynthesis while suppressing TXA2 and PGE2 production, demonstrating profound therapeutic potential in preventing endothelial dysfunction and ischemic heart disease.

Dr. Ruan’s pioneering work extended to active single-chain GPCR-G-protein complexes. By linking G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), such as thromboxane A2 and prostaglandin E2 receptors, to specific G-proteins, he created versatile platforms for modulating GPCR signaling. These innovations offer new therapeutic pathways for vascular diseases and GPCR-related pathologies. His team was the first to identify the detrimental effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, on heart repair due to their suppression of stem cell growth. He also discovered the potential of hybrid Enzymelink technology for gene and cell therapy in vascular and central nervous system disorders.

Patents and Innovations

Dr. Ruan’s inventive spirit is reflected in numerous patents. In 2024, he was granted a patent for a single polypeptide chain insulin capable of stabilizing glucose levels up to three times longer than conventional insulin. This innovation could reduce production costs and extend injection intervals for patients with Type 1 diabetes.

Another patent for a vaccine variant using single polypeptide chain enzyme-complex technology is under review. Additionally, he holds three pending patents for therapeutic Enzyme-Link cell lines, hybrid proteins, and the Vaccine-Link platforms. He also discovered compounds targeting downstream pro-inflammatory mPGES-1, paving the way for next-generation anti-inflammatory drugs that overcome the side effects of current NSAIDs. These contributions have established a foundation for novel interventions in cardiovascular, diabetic, and inflammatory diseases.

Commitment to Mentorship

As an educator, Dr. Ruan’s influence extends beyond research. He served as the primary graduate advisor and mentor for 10 Ph.D. students and guided numerous M.D., Ph.D., and M.D./Ph.D. postdoctoral fellows, professional students, and undergraduates.

Dr. Ruan was particularly dedicated to supporting underrepresented minority students and high school science teachers through NIH supplemental grants, fostering diversity in the biomedical workforce and inspiring the next generation of scientists.

Recognition and Scholarship

Throughout his career, Dr. Ruan received numerous accolades, including recognition from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the Siemens Foundation. His groundbreaking discovery of the "Super Enzyme" has been featured in prominent outlets such as ScienceBased.com and the American Chemical Society News.

Among his prestigious awards are the NIH FIRST Award, multiple AHA Grant-in-Aid Awards, the NIH Challenge Award, the Siemens Mentor Award, and the UHCOP Research Excellence Award, among others.

Dr. Ruan has authored or coauthored over 100 articles in leading peer-reviewed journals, including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Communications, Circulation, and the Journal of Biological Chemistry. His innovative works include the creation of transgenic mouse models expressing his Enzymelink technology, which are resistant to ischemic stroke and cardiovascular damage, significantly advancing vascular biology and translational medicine.

"Dr. Ruan’s career is defined by his unwavering commitment to integrating academic pharmacological understanding with patient-centered innovation for drug discovery and mentorship," said F. Lamar Pritchard, Ph.D., R.Ph., UH College of Pharmacy dean and Humana Endowed Dean’s Chair in Pharmacy. "His discoveries in lipid metabolite regulation and GPCR signaling have deepened our understanding of complex biological processes and paved the way for therapeutic strategies that will inspire and impact future generations."