TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER
Grant: $15,900 - National Institutes of Health - Jun. 2, 2009
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Award Description: The overall rationale for the parent grant is to better understand the molecular mechanism by which estrogen alters cardiovascular function with the ultimate goal being to allow us to develop novel therapeutic interventions that take advantage of the potentially cardiovascular beneficial effects of hormone therapy, while minimizing its potential to cause harm. ERs are classically understood to regulate cellular function by altering gene expression, a pathway referred to as ‘genomic signaling’. Our interest is in an alternative, rapid signaling pathway that does not require alterations in gene expression and is thus sometimes called ‘non-genomic’ signaling. This supplement allows us to provide a new summer employment position for Emily Mackey to accelerate the pace of our research and its achievement, by allowing Emily to study the effects of disrupting ER and stratin binding in vivo in a transgenic mouse that expresses a peptide the prevents complex formation between these two proteins. The availability of this approach is the direct result of the progress we have made in the parent grant. Emily is using ex vivo vasomotor function studies and an in vivo vascular injury model to study this important issue.
Project Description: Emily Mackey worked on this project for several weeks this summer advancing the pace of the research underway as part of the parent grant.. In Emily's words: 'This summer I had the opportunity to work at MCRI at Tufts Medical Center. The research I did and observed first hand was truly remarkable and educational. I realized through this past summer how my college biochemistry and biology classes have practical application, and just how important this research is in furthering scientific and practical medicinal goals. This experience has been invaluable in helping me (finally) decide that I do want to go medical school and continue the learning that I began this summer.'
Infrastructure Description: N/A
Jobs Summary: Perform ex vivo aortic ring studies using vessels obtained from female, ovariectomized wild type and transgenic disrupting peptide mice. Analyze harvested carotid arteries following carotid artery injury (assess for vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, medial area, extracellular matrix content, and stain for cell-specific markers.) Collate data and use proper statistical techniques to analyze the data. (Total jobs reported: 1)
Project Status: More than 50% Completed
This award's data was last updated on Jun. 2, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
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