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August 2006
Children's Research Institute News Brief
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Bernard L. Maria, MD, MBA
Executive Director
Darby Children's
Research Inst. |
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Inderjit Singh, PhD
Scientific Director
Darby Children's
Research Inst. |
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Bioengineering advances in the DCRI
Thanks to a new NIH grant, DCRI researchers are busy developing and exploring new technologies that will hopefully help in the fight against childhood diseases.
Dr. Anand Ramamurthi, PhD, of the Clemson-MUSC Bioengineering program, is to receive a two-year exploratory research grant from the National Institute of
Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. The NIH grant will fund Dr. Ramamurthi's research on hyaluronan scaffolds for regenerating elastin matrices.
"This research addresses the problem of several genetic disorders which effect elastin in connective tissues, including Marfans syndrome, Williams-Beuren
syndrome and Ehler-Danlos syndrome," explains Dr. Ramamurthi, who is collaborating with Dr. Bryan Toole of the department of cell biology and anatomy, Dr.
Naren Vyavahare of Clemson University, and Dr. Benjamin Chu, of the State University of New York.
The team's research is specifically addressing the absence, malformation and breakdown of elastin in vascular connective tissues, or blood vessels, a
condition which can lead to aneurysm and, ultimately, to rupture.
"We are looking at vascular manifestations of these syndromes, especially in young children," he continues. "Often these manifestations are not present at
birth but they develop over the course of time, often peaking at adulthood."
Most elastin is produced during the fetal stage, and elastin production in adults is highly suppressed.
"After birth, there is really no way to repair or replace elastin," Dr. Ramamurthi explains. "It's very difficult."
Tissue-engineered technologies are showing only limited progress, says Dr. Ramamurthi.
A promising candidate is a tissue-derived, bio-polymer hyaluronic acid.
"The purpose of this project is to explore novel biomaterials which, when used as or in conjunction with existing vascular graft materials, will provide
vascular cells the necessary stimuli and cues for regenerating elastin in pediatric as well as adult patients," says Dr. Ramamurthi.
The key, he notes, is the ability of these materials to induce cell responses, including those that pertain to the synthesis of structural matrix proteins,
in order to replicate the density, ultra structure, mechanics and, most importantly, the cell signaling characteristics of healthy, native, vascular elastin.
"The use of such biopolymers will more closely evoke healthy native cell response and likely prevent possible unnatural and exaggerated responses," he explains.
The first stage of the project addresses rare vascular aneurysms in children, paving the way for future uses with far-reaching implications.
"The impact of this work will be the ability to manufacture faithful mimics of native elastin on demand, which may be used to restore homeostasis in
de-elasticized vessels and possibly even serve as an in vitro model to investigate elastogenesis during early morphogenesis, and wound healing in pediatric
and, indeed, adult tissues," says Dr. Ramamurthi.
"This research could make it possible to regenerate elastin for all of the connective tissues - blood vessels as well as skin, pulmonary and others," he notes.
As talented researchers such as Dr. Ramamurthi continue to diligently work towards translating research from the bench to optimal care at the bedside, MUSC,
our community and beyond will benefit.
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