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Project Description:
Cell migration is
fundamental to tissue engineering and regeneration. Thus, it is essential that
we understand the processes of migration in order to design materials for
regenerative therapies or to directly target the cells for enhanced wound
healing.
In this area, we have explored the
migration of both endothelial cells for vascular graft applications and PC12
(neuron-like cell line) for nerve regeneration applications. For example, we
have found that the cytoskeletal-binding protein, gelsolin, is important for in
vitro neurite extension (motility) of PC12 cells. We are currently exploring the
in vivo effects of this molecule, and designing gene therapy approaches to
modulate gelsolin synthesis in damaged nerves in the body.
The figure above is a fluorescence
microscope image of a single PC12 cell stained with a marker that illuminates
the actin cytoskeleton (in green).
Recent Publications:
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Furnish, E.J., W. Zhou, C.C. Cunningham, J.A. Käs, C.E. Schmidt (2001). Gelsolin overexpression enhances neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. FEBS Letters.508:282-286.*Download PDF File*
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Dixit, P., D. Hern-Anderson, J. Ranieri, C.E. Schmidt (2001). Vascular graft endothelialization: comparative analysis of canine and human endothelial cell migration on natural biomaterials. J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 56:545-555.*Download PDF File*
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