Abendschein Group
Dana R. Abendschein, Ph.D.
Acute Vascular Injury
Center for Cardiovascular Research
Department of Internal Medicine
Washington University in Saint Louis
660 South Euclid Ave., CB 8086
St. Louis, MO 63110
phone: +1 314 362-8909
fax: +1 314 362-8957
Goals for the Original PEN Grant
This group is focused on approaches to attenuate occlusive remodeling of arteries after traumatic injury, such as that induced by percutaneous interventions or surgery. In the context of the PEN, the group will conduct experiments in animal models to evaluate the imaging and drug delivery capabilities of imaging agents and nanoparticles targeted to sites of vascular injury. Initially, the model will be simple involving overstretch injury of a normal carotid artery in rats to permit imaging of a focal lesion in a superficial artery with microPET and rapid comparisons of binding properties and antiproliferative efficacies of multiple agents. The target in early experiments will be αvβ3 on activated platelets and vascular wall cells because prototype agents are available to test. Another target that will be studied is phosphotidylserine, which is exposed on all injured vascular wall cells and activated platelets. Radiolabeled annexin V will be produced to bind to phosphotidylserine for imaging and to serve as a carrier of anticoagulant- and antiproliferative-containing nanoparticles. As more materials become available and the most promising agents are identified, more sophisticated animal models reflecting the pathophysiology of diseased human arteries will be implemented to define the efficacy of selected approaches. These include overstretch injury to the abdominal aorta in rabbits, which has the advantage of providing sufficient vessel surface to study both the binding of agents and the passivation of the coagulation cascade, and angioplasty-induced injury to atherosclerotic-like lesions produced by air dessication in the femoral artery of rabbits fed atherogenic diet.
Facilities
Abendschein’s research group occupies a 700 sq. ft. and a 100 sq. ft. laboratory in the Center for Cardiovascular Research on the 9th floor of the Clinical Sciences Research Building and also shares two 700 sq. ft. animal procedure rooms on the first floor of the same building. The laboratory space is equipped with fume hoods for handling volatile chemicals and fixatives, perfusion pumps and temperature-controlled water baths for isolated vessel incubations, a Hermle 2360K refrigerated centrifuge, a Molecular Devices Thermomax microplate reader, a Nikon SMZ645 dissecting microscope, a Minaxi Auto-gamma 5000 gamma counter, refrigerated and -20° and -80°C storage space, and a Leica Jung CM 1800 cryostat. The animal surgical space is equipped with an Acoma MCA-100 C-arm portable fluoroscopic unit, a Matrx gas anesthesia machine, a Narkomed 2 anesthesia/ventilation unit, a Welch Allyn Propac CO2/O2/physiologic monitor, Harvard perfusion pumps, electrocautery units, a Coag-A-Mate coagulation timer, surgical tables, and ceiling-mounted surgical lights. There is also access to centralized blood gas machines and gas and steam sterilizers.
People
Dana R. Abendschein, Ph.D.
Co-investigator
Washington University School of Medicine
660 South Euclid Ave., Box 8086
St. Louis, MO 63110
phone: +1 314 362-8925
fax: +1 314 747-3971
dabendsc@im.wustl.edu
Susannah A. Grathwohl
Senior Research Technician
Internal Medicine - Cardiovascular Division
Washington University School of Medicine
660 South Euclid Ave., Box 8086
St. Louis, MO 63110
phone: +1 314 362-8107
fax: +1 314 362-8957
sgrathwo@wustl.edu