The SmArt network consists of 10 partner organizations (9 academic groups and one industrial) from 7 European countries:
Partner #1
Per Hellstrand, professor, coordinator CV
Lund University
Dept: Experimental Medical Science
Sweden
Per.Hellstrand@med.lu.se
website: www.med.lu.se/english/expmed/research/vascular_physiology_group
Project Description/ Role in ITN
Per Hellstrand is coordinator of the SmArt ITN and thus has a crucial role in coordinating research and training activities within the network. Current research interests comprise the role of mechanical forces and ion channel activity in the control of vascular smooth muscle phenotype and vessel remodelling, as well as the effects of cholesterol-lowering food components on vascular function and atherosclerosis development. Within SmArt, Per Hellstrand will lead WP 5 (Effects of pressure, flow and smooth muscle tone on smooth muscle differentiation and growth: role of actin polymerization and membrane microdomains) and participate also in WP 3 (Pressure-and shear stress-induced microvascular remodelling mechanisms: role of ROS), WP 4 (Roles of laminin isoforms in mechanotransduction in endothelium and smooth muscle) and WP 7 (Role of vascular cell ion channels for vascular tone and remodelling).
Partner #2
Lydia Sorokin, professor CV
Dept. of Pathobiochemistry, Wesfaelische Wilhems-University Muenster, Germany
sorokin@uni-muenster.de
website: www.sorokinlab.uni-muenster.de
Project Description/ Role in ITN
This partner will contribute expertise on the role of blood vessel basement membranes in vessel integrity/ stability and function. The group specializes in the biochemistry and functional roles of laminins, the major function component of basement membranes, and has contributed significantly to the structural and functional characterization of the two of the five known laminin a chains. A further portion of the work of this group is the role of vascular basement membranes as barriers to the movement of leukocytes and mechanisms employed by different leukocytes types to penetrate these protein barriers. As such, L Sorokin will contribute principally to WP 4 (Roles of laminin isoforms in mechanotransduction in endothelium and smooth muscle), but will also contribute significantly WP 1 (Cell-matrix interaction under mechanical load), WP 6 (Cross-linking of the collagen matrix: role of transglutaminases) and WP 8 (Role of monocytes/ macrophages in vessel wall extracellular matrix in remodelling).
Partner #3
Ulrich Pohl, professor, Walter-Brendel-Centre for Experimental Medicine,
Ludvig-Maximilians University Munich, Germany
upohl@lmu.de
Partner #4
Christian Aalkjaer, professor CV
Dept. of Physiology, Univ. of Aarhus, Denmark
ca@fi.au.dk
Project Description/ Role in ITN
This partner will contribute expertise on measurements smooth muscle cell size and number in the vascular wall and on the role of intracellular calcium in modifying these parameters. The techniques used in the laboratory are stereological techniques to provide quantitative estimates of morphology, siRNA technology to remove specific proteins in vivo, evaluation of protein and mRNA expression levels and confocal imaging of subcellular calcium transients in intact arteries as well as electrophysiology for measurements of membrane potential and ion currents. We will focus on the role of specific calcium channels for the remodeling process. C Aalkjær will contribute principally to WP 7 (Role of vascular cell ion channels for vascular tone and remodelling), but will also contribute significantly to WP5 (Effects of pressure, flow and smooth muscle tone on smooth muscle differentiation and growth: role of actin polymerization and membrane microdomains) and WP6 (Cross-linking of the collagen matrix: role of transglutaminases).
Partner #5
Ed van Bavel, professor CV
AMC Amsterdam, Dept: Biomed. Eng and Physics, the Netherlands
e.vanbavel@amc.uva.nl
Project Description/ Role in ITN
This partner will contribute expertise on mechanisms of remodelling in small arteries. We combine a vascular biology approach with biomechanics. Vascular wall plasticity (i.e. the shift of passive and active radius-tension curves) and remodelling are studied using a variety of approaches. In vivo models for small artery remodelling include hypertensive models and local flow redirection in the mesenteric bed. In vitro, we keep isolated vessels cannulated in pressurized in culture during several days, while monitoring changes in diameter. We use isolated cell-matrix interaction models and have developed a setup for the simultaneous time-lapse fluorescence imaging of individual cells during remodelling of the matrix. We uncovered the involvement of transglutaminases, cross-linking enzymes in remodelling, and a substantial part of the work will be to further analyze the mechanisms by which these enzymes fulfil their function. We will contribute principally to WP (Cross-linking o f the collagen matrix: role of transglutaminases), and are involved in several of the other work packages.
Partner #11 (former #6)
Curzio Ruegg, professor CV
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Science, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
curzio.ruegg@unifr.ch
website: http://www.unifr.ch/pathology
Project description / Role in ITN
The Division of Experimental Oncology is located within the Biomedical Research Complex in Epalinges, which includes the Institute of Biochemistry of the university of Lausanne and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. Although this laboratory is mostly embedded in a cancer research environment, it has a strong interest in the study of cell adhesion in vascular biology, in particular integrin-mediated endothelial cell functions and signaling events. The division participates in the international PhD program and the MD-PhD program of the University of Lausanne. Resources to perform the proposed experiments, in particular signalling studies, are available within the lab, as well as core facilities, including confocal microscopy, FACS analysis, functional genomics and bioinformatics, peptide synthesis and proteomics.
One ESR will be trained by this partner and will perform the molecular, biochemical and functional experiments of WP 2 (Endothelial and progenitor/inflammatory cell response to shear stress and ECM modifications: role of integrin). This partner will aid in the cell-matrix investigations in WP 4 (Roles of laminin isoforms in mechanotransduction in endothelium and smooth muscle ) and cell biology experiments on monocytes in WP8 (Role of monocytes/macrophages in vessel wall extracellular matrix in remodelling ) by providing tools and training to investigate integrins, cell adhesion, migration and intracellular signalling pathways.
Partner #7
Ákos Koller, professor
Univ. of Pécs, Department of Pathophysiology and Gerontology, Hungary
Akos.Koller@aok.pte.hu
Project description / Role in ITN
The Medical School of University of Pecs is one of the leading research institutions in the life sciences in Hungary. The University offers a wide range of research training programs for post-graduates.
The Department of Pathophysiology and Gerontology has a strong emphasis on vascular physiology and biology, especially on the vasomotor responses and remodeling elicited by hemodynamic forces (pressure, shear stress, flow). Also, it is of great importance how these forces are converted to mechanical responses of vessels, i.e. the cellular signaling of mechanotransduction. These topics are studies in vessels of various organs and tissues, both in normal and diseased conditions.
The research and training activities are coordinated by Akos Koller. Within the SmArt, Partner 7 collaborates - among others - with Per Hellstrand, Partner #1, at the University of Lund, Sweden, who leads WP 5 (Effects of pressure, flow and smooth muscle tone on smooth muscle differentiation and growth: role of actin polymerization and membrane microdomains) and with
Ulrich Pohl, Partner #3, at the Walter-Brendel-Centre for Experimental Medicine, Ludvig-Maximilians University Munich, Germany, who leads WP 3 (The role of pressure-and shear stress-induced microvascular remodelling mechanisms: role of ROS).
Partner #8
Markus Hecker, professor CV
Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
hecker@physiologie.uni-hd.de
Project description / Role in ITN
The University of Heidelberg is one of the leading research institutions in the life sciences in Germany with elite status, offering a whole host of programmes and training opportunities for post-graduates. The Division of Cardiovascular Physiology within the Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology of Heidelberg University has a proven track record in vascular biology/medicine with a focus on mechanosensing and signal transduction mechanisms associated with remodelling processes in cardiovascular disease. It offers the entire portfolio of state-of-
the-art cell and molecular biology methods including organ culture, transgenic animals,
proteomics, and in particular the design, validation and proof of concept in animal models of nucleic acid-based drugs (antisense, small interference RNA and decoy oligodeoxynucleotides) targeting pivotal transcription factors. As such partner 8 will significantly contribute to work package (WP) 1 Cell-matrix interactions under mechanical load: effects on endothelial gene expression and intercellular communication, WP 2 Endothelial and progenitor/inflammatory cell response to shear stress and ECM modifications: role of integrins, WP 3 Pressure and shear stress-induced microvascular remodelling mechanisms: role of ROS and in particular WP 5 Effects of pressure, flow and smooth muscle tone on smooth muscle differentiation and growth: role of actin polymerization and membrane microdomains.
Partner #9
Qingbo Xu, Professor CV
BHF John Parker Chair of Cardiovascular Sciences, Cardiovascular Division, King's College London BHF Centre, London
qingbo.xu@kcl.ac.uk
websites: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/medicine/research/cardio/pi/xu-q.html
http://www.bhf.org.uk/research_health_professionals/bhf_professors/professor_xu.aspx
Project description / Role in ITN
This partner will contribute expertise on the role of stem/progenitor cells in vascular re-modelling and function in response to shear stress and disturbed flow. The group specializes in
the stem cell differentiation into endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells that contribute to vascular remodelling in normal and diseased conditions. The team also established a mouse model of vascular bypass graft to study vessel remodelling in different blood flows. A further expertise of this group is to study matrix protein-mediated stem cell differentiation using proteomic approaches, which is well established in the laboratory. As such, Q Xu will contribute principally
to WP 8 (Role of monocytes/ macrophages in vessel wall extracellular matrix in remodelling), but will also contribute significantly WP 2 (Endothelial and progenitor/inflammatory cell response to shear stress and ECM modifications: role of integrins), and WP 3 (Pressure and shear stress-induced microvascular remodelling mechanisms: role of ROS).
Partner #10
Soren-Peter Olesen, professor
NEUROSEARCH AS, Ion Channel Physiology, Denmark
Søren-Peter Olesen [spfo@sund.ku.dk]
Associated Partner:
Danish Myo Technology A/S
Denmark
|
