| Description | Molecular Engineering and Sciences Seminar Series
Abstract: You are as old as your elastin: Therapies to extend human life Functional elastic fibers are an essential component of connective tissues. In healthy individuals, elastic fibers have a half-life of 70 years or more, and they rarely remodel in adults. Irreversible elastic fiber degradation is the unassailable hallmark of diseases such as aortic aneurysms, atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease, arteriosclerosis, and lung emphysema and is exacerbated by the inflammatory process inherent to these conditions. Elastin degradation products (EDPs) are also known chemokines for inflammatory cells and therefore contribute to a vicious cycle of disease amplification. Functional elastic fiber development is also important for developing tissue-engineered products. Our ongoing inquiry into site-specific therapies is now set to challenge existing paradigms, shape new translational opportunities, and establish effective treatment options to address pathological elastin degradation. We have identified ways to not only halt disease-related elastin degradation but to repair these crucial elastic fibers and thus initiate a reversal of many cardiovascular- and lung-related disorders. This talk will provide some insights into these nano-medicine therapies.
This weekly seminar brings together students, faculty and invited guests from various disciplines across campus to explore current trends in molecular engineering and nanotechnology. It is a forum for active interdisciplinary discussions. These talks are open to the public and attract a diverse audience of students and faculty. |
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