Fetal growth restriction associated developmental programming in the kidney with and without placental nanoparticle treatment
Prof. Helen Jones
Email
Jonesh@ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 846-1503
Faculty Department/Division
Physiology and Aging
This project is primarily:
Translational
Research Project Description:
Fetal growth restriction (FGR; estimated fetal weight <10th percentile) is associated with increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and hypertension in later life. The connection between FGR and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood centers around the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DoHAD) hypothesis where environmental stressors during critical fetal developmental windows result in permanent structural and physiological changes, called developmental programming, which predispose offspring to adverse health outcome in postnatal life. Currently, there is no effective in utero treatment for FGR, thus no clinical intervention to potentially reduce of prevent cardiovascular disease in adults diagnosed with FGR
FGR occurs in up to 10% of pregnancies with suboptimal uteroplacental perfusion, hence impaired fetal nutrition, accounting for 25-30% of cases. We have developed a novel, non-viral, nanoparticle-mediated gene therapy that targets the placenta and increases placental insulin-like 1 growth factor (IGF-1) expression. The role of the student will be to work with already obtained fetal kidney tissue from our studies using guinea pigs to analyze FGR-associated developmental programming in the kidney with and without placental nanoparticle treatment. Experimental methods include performing qPCR to analyze gene expression, histological stains to investigate basic morphology and protein localization, and western blots to determine protein expression.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No
Mitochondrial function in the growth restricted maternal-fetal interface with and without placental nanoparticle treatment
Prof. Helen Jones
Email
Jonesh@ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 846-1503
Faculty Department/Division
Physiology and Aging
This project is primarily:
Translational
Research Project Description:
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) occurs in 5-10% of all pregnancies in the developed world and has higher rates in the developing world. FGR contributes significantly to perinatal morbidity and mortality, primarily due to prematurity and hypoxia. Maintaining an upward growth trajectory in utero is paramount to preventing iatrogenic preterm delivery, NICU admission and the complications that can bring. Suboptimal uteroplacental perfusion, hence impaired fetal nutrition, accounts for 25-30% of cases, and currently there is no effective in utero treatment for FGR. We have developed a novel, non-viral, nanoparticle-mediated gene therapy that targets the placenta and increases placental insulin-like 1 growth factor (IGF-1) expression. Our investigations using a guinea pig model of FGR indicate that in the placenta, FGR is associated with changes in expression of transcripts related to translation of mitochondrial proteins. The role of the student will be to further investigate mitochondrial function in the FGR placenta with and without IGF-1 nanoparticle treatment. Experimental methods include qPCR analysis of mitochondrial density, western blot assessment of mitochondrial proteins, and colorimetric assays to investigate catalytic enzyme activity.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No
Leveraging Sleep/Wake Homeostasis to Improve Physiology and Health
Dr. Andrew Liu
Email
andrew.liu@ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 294-8900
Faculty Department/Division
Physiology and Functional Genomics, College of Medicine
This project is primarily:
Basic
Research Project Description:
Sleep homeostasis is critical for physiology and health. In mammals, the sleep/wake cycle is regulated by a master circadian clockin the brain, and more specifically, the hypothalamus. Circadian disruption has been associated with various sleep, metabolic andneuropsychiatric disorders. The long-term goal of our research is to identify the genetic, environmental, and pharmacologicalfactors that impact the circadian and sleep systems. Of particular relevance, our recent studies identified the mTOR and NF-kBpathways that link nutrient sensing, metabolic and protein homeostasis, and inflammation to circadian clock function. The projectwill investigate how these genes and pathways affect sleep/wake homeostasis. This research will involve using genetic mousemodels and neurobehavioral approaches to assess locomotor behavior, sleep/wake states, and neurocognitive and psychiatricfunctions. This research uses genetics, molecular biology, and genomics approaches to study how the different cell types andregions in the brain contribute to sleep/wake regulation. We will also consider treatment regimens such as time-restricted feedingand pharmacological agents to improve sleep physiology. This research has broad implications in diseases and chronic conditionswhere sleep/wake disturbance represents both a culprit of pathogenesis and a target for therapeutic intervention and prevention.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No
Analysis of circadian parameters in clinical populations
Professor Karyn Esser
Email
kaesser@ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 273-5728
Faculty Department/Division
Physiology and Aging
This project is primarily:
Translational
Research Project Description:
It is now recognized that disruptions in circadian rhythms can contribute to disease progression and is linked as a contributing factor in age related declines. This project will work with clinicians, basic scientists and statisticians to analyze data, such as activity, heart rate, temperature for circadian parameters. These outcomes will then be correlated with disease parameters (clinical data) or changes in mobility (aging population). Work from this project will then be used to design interventions to improve circadian function and health outcomes.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No