Grants Funded
ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.
Research Abstracts
Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.
Adoptive Endothehal Progenitor Cell Therapy To Restore Vasculogenic Potential In Diabetes
Principal Investigator
Rica Tanaka MD
Rica Tanaka MD
Year
2007
2007
Institution
New York University Medical Center
New York University Medical Center
Funding Mechanism
Basic Research Grant
Basic Research Grant
Focus Area
Wounds / Scar
Wounds / Scar
Abstract
Non-healing wounds and ulcers are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. It is well know that diabetics exhibit impaired neovascularization and thus are at risk for the formation of diabetic ulcers and non healing wounds. Despite our understanding of this critical relationship, there currently is no effective pro-angiogenic therapy for the treatment of diabetic wounds. Recently, there have been advances in the field of vascular biology that offer new insights into mechanisms of neovascularization, and stem cell therapy has been proposed as a possible technique for augmenting diabetic revascularization. Unfortunately, stem cell therapy may confer less benefit to diabetic patients, as recent literature indicates that diabetic progenitor cells are dysfunctional. The objective of this study is to locate the dysfunction in the diabetic Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) and to test whether ex vivo expansion of diabetic EPCs restores vasculogenic potential in vitro and in vivo.
Non-healing wounds and ulcers are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. It is well know that diabetics exhibit impaired neovascularization and thus are at risk for the formation of diabetic ulcers and non healing wounds. Despite our understanding of this critical relationship, there currently is no effective pro-angiogenic therapy for the treatment of diabetic wounds. Recently, there have been advances in the field of vascular biology that offer new insights into mechanisms of neovascularization, and stem cell therapy has been proposed as a possible technique for augmenting diabetic revascularization. Unfortunately, stem cell therapy may confer less benefit to diabetic patients, as recent literature indicates that diabetic progenitor cells are dysfunctional. The objective of this study is to locate the dysfunction in the diabetic Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) and to test whether ex vivo expansion of diabetic EPCs restores vasculogenic potential in vitro and in vivo.