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Overview

Molecular Regulation of Vascular System Development and Angiogenesis.

Establishment of a functional circulatory system during development is crucial for delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the embryo. Defects in the development of blood vessels result in death before birth or in congenital cardiovascular abnormalities. Our main focus is to examine the molecular and genetic pathways that regulate the three principal processes of vascular development and homeostasis: endothelial cell lineage determination, vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. More recently, we have extended our studies to investigating the molecular underpinning of certain vascular diseases. We focus on the mouse model and the embryonic stem cell (ESC) in vitro differentiation system because of the ready availability of genetic and experimental tools, and because of physiological similarities between mice and humans. Using an expression-based "gene trap" screen in mouse ESCs and embryos, we previously identified two novel genes that are involved in vascular system development, Vezf1 and Egfl7.

Transcriptional control of blood vascular and lymphatic development.

Vascular endothelial zinc finger 1 (Vezf1) encodes a Zn finger transcription factor with prominent expression in vascular endothelial cells. Using a loss-of-function approach, we showed that Vezf1 plays an essential and dosage-dependent role in the proliferation, remodeling, and integrity of the developing blood vasculature. Strikingly, mutant embryos also display lymphatic vessel abnormalities with a phenotype reminiscent of the human congenital malformation syndrome, nuchal edema.

Highlights

  1. 1
    iScience · 2022
    LLLauretta LackoDRDavid RedmondCMChristine M SalvatoreOEOlivier Elemento+3 more →HSHeidi Stuhlmann
    PMID: 35434541PMCID: PMC8996470DOISenior author85 citations

Publications

71 publications

Funding

11 grantsView NIH portfolio on RePORTER ↗

Active

3 grants
  • Co-I
    Subtype C HIV-1 Reservoir in Pregnancy-specific Compartments
    National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2026–2031
    R01AI203452-01
  • KP
    Destruction of noncoding RNAs - R35 Diversity Supplement
    National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2024–2027
    R35GM147463-03S1
  • PI
    Training Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology
    Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · 2015–2027· 3 renewals
    T32HD060600-15
Completed grants (8)
  • PI
    SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Transposon Dysregulation in Placenta
    Weill Cornell Medical College · 2023–2023
    WCMC 228404-01
  • Sub-PI
    Endothelial Wnt signaling in CNS neo-angiogenesis and blood-brain barrier in EAE/MS
    National Multiple Sclerosis Society · 2019–2021 · via Columbia University
    CUMC 192705-02
  • PI
    MicroRNA Function in the Development of the Cerebral Cortex
    National Institute of Mental Health · 2014–2021
    R01MH083680-09
  • MPI
    SMALL RNA PATHWAYS IN MAMMALIAN GAMETOGENESIS
    Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · 2017–2019 · via Cornell University - Ithaca
    P50HD076210-05
  • PI
    Role of EFGL7 in Angiogenesis
    National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2012–2017
    R01HL082098-09 EW
  • PI
    Molecular Regulation of Vascular Development
    NHLBI · 2003–2008 · via NIH RePORTER
    R01HL068648-04
  • PI
    Marking Progenitor Cell Lineages in the Vascular System
    NHLBI · 2002–2006 · via NIH RePORTER
    R21HL072270-03
  • PI
    FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF VEFZ1, A NOVEL ENDOTHELIAL MARKER
    NHLBI · 2000–2005 · via NIH RePORTER
    R01HL065738-04

Available technologies

1 technologyView full WCM portfolio ↗

News mentions

3 mentionsView all WCM news ↗

Mentoring

6 menteesAll publications with mentees →