Faculty
Research Interests
Patrick Cammarata
, Ph.D.
Professor
Mechanism(s) of ocular diabetic complications, including sugar cataract development. Inositol lipid metabolism, myo-inositol uptake and efflux, molecular cloning, fine structure analysis of the sodium/myo-inositol cotransporter gene, promotes characterization and transcriptional regulation of the sodium/myo-inositol cotransporter gene. (Category III)
Rustin Reeves
, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Current interests include introduction of multimedia into new medical and graduate curricula, with an emphasis on web-supported educational materials. These activities include the development of digital images of anatomical and histological structures for use as study, testing and instructional materials in the medical, graduate and physician assistant programs. Additional interests include the development of web-based courses in the anatomical science for use by graduate and medical (or premedical) students interested in these subject areas. (Category II)
Rouel Roque
, M.D.
Adjunct Faculty
Focus of research is on the cellular and molecular events leading to apoptotic cell death in various pathological states such as neuronal degeneration, vascular remodeling, tumor invasion, and myocardial ischemia. Ongoing studies are directed towards investigating the role of proneurotrophins and the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) in photoreceptor cell apoptosis and vascular degeneration in retinal disease, and the signal transduction pathways involved, utilizing cellular and molecular biology techniques. Identification of the various secretases involved in the regulated intramembrane proteolysis of p75NTR upstream and of the p75NTR adaptor proteins involved in the molecular signaling downstream are being investigated.
Harold Sheedlo
, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
The main focus of my research is to develop and characterize photoreceptor cell lines stimulated by factors secreted retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Following characterization and identification, these cells will be transplanted into diseased retinas. RPE cells have several functions including secretion of growth factors, neurotrophins and cytokines and phagocytosis of shed outer segments of photoreceptor cells. Progenitor cells have been isolated from neonatal rat retinal explants grown in the presence of proteins secreted by RPE cells. Populations of these progenitor cells have been virally transformed and are currently being characterized by in vitro assays, electrophoresis, immunocytochemistry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The transformed progenitor cells will be grown in the presence of neurotrophins and other growth factors to direct these cells to a photoreceptor cell fate. Populations of progenitor cells from embryonic, neonatal and adult retinas will be cultured, passaged and frozen in liquid nitrogen for future studies of cellular differentiation. The photoreceptor cells derived from transformed progenitor cell populations will be transplanted into diseased rodent eyes and their functional capacity will be assessed by microscopic and visual tests. The results of these studies will provide evidence for the feasibility of similarly developed human photoreceptor cell lines and subsequent transplantation in diseased eyes of patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Human retinal explants grown in proteins of RPE cells have been stimulated to generate progenitor cells; thus, the first step toward developing a transformed human progenitor cell and extended in vivo and in vitro investigations has been accomplished. (Category III)
Robert Wordinger
, Ph.D.
Professor and Chairman
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide and is characterized by a defect in the ability of aqueous humor to drain efficiently through the trabecular meshwork. This abnormality results in elevated intraocular pressure resulting in death of retinal ganglion cells and subsequent blindness. Our laboratory studies gene and protein expression of growth factors and neurotrophins by human trabecular meshwork cells and cells of the human optic nerve head. We wish to understand the role theses factors play normally and in the pathophysiology of glaucoma. Modern cell and molecular biology techniques are utilized by graduate students and research associates. Ultimately we wish to discover new and innovative methodologies for the diagnosis, management and treatment of glaucoma (Category III).
Wolfram Siede
, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Current projects are aimed at understanding cellular regulation responses following DNA damage, using yeast as a model. It is known that genetic stability is preserved by cell cycle arrest accompanied by regulation of DNA repair enzymes. We are studying the molecular mechanisms of DNA damage recognition that activate these responses. We are also involved in elucidating the regulation of damage-bypass polymerases that result in DNA damage tolerance. Such research is important for understanding the mutator phenotype of cancer cells. The conservation of basic mechanisms makes yeast an attractive model and we are also exploring ways of using yeast for screening and characterization of novel anti-cancer drugs