研究领域

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Molecular Genetics

The focus of my laboratory research is in the field of wound healing. In particular, I have an ongoing collaboration with UC Davis researchers to develop a stem cell based therapy for the healing of human chronic diabetic wounds. About 27 million people in the United States alone are affected with type II diabetes. Diabetes may lead to chronic wounds on the feet and legs and in some cases require amputations. Chronic wounds often persist due to the inability to progress from an inflammatory phase into later phases of healing. Projects: One of our hypotheses is that epinephrine (aka adrenaline) can impair the healing process by prolonging the inflammatory phase. Thus, we have been examining the catecholamine levels (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine) within wounds by a sensitive HPLC-electrochemical detection method. In addition, my laboratory has been evaluating the wound healing process by using microscopy techniques to examine blood vessel regeneration at the wound site. Chronic wounds often persist due to poor regeneration of the blood supply to the wound site which is essential for bringing in nutrients and cells critical to heal the damaged tissue. We have been evaluating various endothelial cell markers to determine which biomarker would be best to evaluate early vasculogenesis in diabetic mice that are in the process of wound repair. In addition, we are also evaluating how many human mesenchymal stem cells persist when delivered to a wound to facilitate the healing process. We have been using Florescent in Situ Hybridization (FISH) to detect chromosomes with wounded mouse tissue to examine their migration, proliferation and persistence at the wound site.