Inamdar Laboratory
Molecular, genetic and developmental analysis of the cardiovascular development system
Maneesha InamdarAssociate Professor |
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Our interest is in understanding cell lineage specification and differentiation during cardiovascular development. The cardiovascular system is the first to form and function giving physiologically and functionally distinct cell types- blood, vessels and cardiac muscle- from common precursors. In spite of several elegant studies, early developmental events are poorly understood. We have taken a comparative approach using embryonic stem cell models, mouse developmental biology and transgenics, and Drosophila genetics, to decipher the roles of novel genes expressed early in the cardiovascular system. This has given useful insight into gene function as well as ontogeny of the circulatory systems. Pivotal to our analysis are novel genes, asrij and rudhira, that have conserved expression and function in the circulatory system. Aberrant expression of these genes results in cancers and promotes tumor progression and metastasis in several tissues. We have generated transgenic and knockout Drosophila as well as mice to analyze the mutant phenotype and study the conserved role of these genes in development and cancer. Our current focus is analysis of human cardiovascular development as well as clinical studies on tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. |
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Our laboratory at JNCASR has derived two new sibling human embryonic stem cell (hES) lines (BJNhem19 and BJNhem20) from poor quality human embryos. We have differentiated these cells to cardiovascular derivatives that can be cultured to purity. The cell lines are internationally accepted and eligible for use in most laboratories around the world. The cell lines are included in the International Stem Cell Initiative (ISCI) project on accumulation of genetic defects in ES cell cultures. We have also generated and characterized several mouse and human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from various cell types. Our aim is to use patient-derived iPS cells as disease models. If you would like to obtain the human ES cell lines BJNhem 19 and BJNhem 20 please click here.
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