Mechanisms Regulating Tissue Remodeling

Dr. Maria Rupnick’s research focuses on the mechanisms that control tissue remodeling, particularly pathways that coordinate vascular and tissue responses.  Through studies of cardiac and adipose tissues, her group has regulated tissue remodeling by identifying new cell survival factors and altering the signaling pathways the govern blood vessel development.  She is also contributing this work to advance the field of cardiac tissue engineering through collaborations at MIT.  Dr. Rupnick has used this approach to preserve heart function following injury and to limit fat tissue growth in obese animals.  The long-term objective of her laboratory is to explore novel avenues of treatment for health care problems such as heart failure and obesity, leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. 

Rupnick MA, Panigrahy D, Yang CY, Dallabrida SM, Lowell B, Langer R, Folkman J. 2002. Adipose tissue mass can be regulated through the vasculature. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA. 99:10229-10942.

Dallabrida SM, Zurakowski, D, Shih SC, Smith LE, Folkman J, Moulton K, Rupnick MA.  2003. Adipose tissue growth and regression are regulated by angiopoietin-1. Biochem Biophys Res Comm. 311;563-571.

Dallabrida SM, Ismail N, Oberle JR, Himes BE, Rupnick MA. 2005. Angiopoietin-1 Promotes Cardiac and Skeletal Myocyte Survival Through Integrins. Circ Res. 96;e8-e24.