Welcome to the USF Health
Heart Institute
Featured Faculty
- Dr. Stephen B. Liggett's laboratory has several major interrelated initiatives:
- The study of the molecular basis of G-protein coupled receptor structure and function
- Delineation and characterization of human genetic variants within this receptor signaling network
- Association studies of genetic variants with heart and lung disease and their response to treatment to develop a platform for genetically-based personalized medicine
- Creation of genetically modified mice to define the mechanisms of heart and lung disease and "humanized mice" to explore the effects of genetic variation of human genes
- Determination of the full genome sequences of human Rhinoviruses using high throughput next-generation sequencing technologies; analysis of the relationships between viral genomes and asthma phenotypes
- Genomic-based drug discovery, most recently identifying bitter taste receptors on airway smooth muscle and showing that they act to bronchodilate, thus being a potential new therapy for asthma and COPD
- My laboratory performs research in the area of lymphatic vascular biology to gain insight into how loss of lymphatic vessel function leads to disease. Specifically, we use a unique combination of genetic and physiologic approaches to quantify lymphatic vascular permeability, which allows us to assess fluid and solute transport across the lymphatic vessel wall. Diseases associated with leaky lymphatic vessels include obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, lymphedema, and infection. Our research is multidisciplinary as we routinely collaborate with investigators from physiology, immunology, and developmental biology areas. Some current areas of interest are:
- 1)The physical pathways and molecular regulators that restrict solute and fluid loss across the lymphatic vessel wall, preventing edema.
- 2)The role of lymphatic vascular permeability in immune cell trafficking to the lymph node.
Congratulations to Mr. John Lockhart!
We would like to congratulate Mr. John Lockhart, who has been awarded with the 2019 Keystone Symposia Scholarship and has also been invited to give a short talk about his submitted abstract entitled, “Effective Delivery of Therapeutic mRNA using Peptide-Based Nanoparticles.” This work was done in collaboration with the laboratories of Dr. Hua Pan and Dr. Samuel Wickline using a novel-based peptide nanoparticle system for oligonucleotide delivery. Mr. Lockhart is a Ph.D. candidate being mentored, by Dr. Hana Totary-Jain, who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology. The Keystone Symposia will take place on April 7 – 10, 2019 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. We are very proud of Mr. Lockhart’s accomplishments - Congratulations!
Dr. Bibhu Mohanty - Tips on Heart Health
Articles
A Genome-Wide Association Study of Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy in African Americans
Plot of the odds of developing idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (a form of heart failure) from various genetic variations on chromosome 2. A variation in a calcium channel subunit (CACNB4) showed the greatest risk for developing the disease. The population is African-American, and the results are from a recent study published from the Heart Institute.
Modulation of LIN28B/Let-7 Signaling by Propranolol Contributes to Infantile Hemangioma Involution<br>
Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are the most common benign vascular neoplasms of infancy, characterized by a rapid growth phase followed by a spontaneous involution, or triggered by propranolol treatment by poorly understood mechanisms. LIN28/let-7 axis plays a central role in the regulation of stem cell self-renewal and tumorigenesis. However, the role of LIN28B/let-7 signaling in IH pathogenesis has not yet been elucidated.
USF Health Institute News
3/25/2019
March 25, 2019 — USF Health Heart Institute Director Samuel Wickline, MD, a pioneer in nanotechnology targeting heart disease and other disorders, has been inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows Class of 2019. Election as an AIMB …
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1/18/2019
The partnership between USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and the College of Engineering can help spur new technologies, devices and processes to improve health care and reduce costs
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_M2KKqPYcE
A rare joint program between the USF College of Engineering and USF Healt …
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12/4/2018
Cardiologists could and should take more action in guiding their patients to interventions aimed at delaying, and even preventing, diabetes, USF Health faculty proposed last month in a review published in the American Journal of Cardiology.
“We propose cardiologists can play a key role in preventin …
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