Dr. Edelberg’s research has focused on the age-related impairment in endogenous cardioprotective pathways that contribute to the increased severity of cardiovascular pathophysiology observed in older persons. Dr. Edelberg has demonstrated that the age-associated dysregulation of platelet-derived…
more growth factor (PDGF)-B expression in both cardiac endothelial cells as well as endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) results in a senescent decline in cardiac angiogenesis and an increase in pro-apoptotic pathways. Importantly, targeting of PDGF pathways through molecular or cellular approaches can reverse the age-related impairment cardioprotection in experimental models. Dr. Edelberg’s work on endothelial-PDGF-B pathways has also led to novel insights in cardiac regeneration. Specifically, Dr. Edelberg has shown that PDGF pathways are central to the differentiation of bone marrow-derived cardiac myocytes in vitro as well as in vivo. His group has revealed that both the young and old murine bone marrow contain a subpopulation of Oct3/4⁺ cells with cardiomyogeneic potential and that PDGF-B-EPC mediated induction pathways govern the differentiation of these cells. Notably, the cardiomyogenic differentiation of old bone marrow cells is suppressed by the senescent decline PDGF-B expression in EPCs but can be fully restored through addition of PDGF. Together, these studies suggest that targeting of PDGF pathways may be central in the translation of cardiac regenerative therapies.
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