Renovascular Disease - Lilach O. Lerman

Overview

The Renovascular Research Laboratory focuses on development and application of techniques to study renal and cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology in animal models and in humans.

Specific areas of interest include:

• Pathophysiology of renovascular disease, hypertension and cardiac adaptation
• Cardiorenal interactions and the kidney and myocardial microcirculation
• Development and application of cell-based therapy for renal microvascular repair
• The effect of cardiovascular risk factors (such as early atherosclerosis, the metabolic syndrome and obesity) on myocardial microvascular function, remodeling and adaptation to upstream coronary artery stenosis
• Potential benefits of chronic supplementation with novel drugs (e.g., anti-inflammatories and antioxidants) on the ischemic kidney and heart
• Development, interpretation and implementation of physiologic imaging and image analysis techniques using multidetector CT and magnetic resonance imaging

The laboratory is involved in short-term and long-term studies with research tools that include wet-lab methods, as well as sophisticated, high-resolution computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, computer-based modeling, and image analysis. Disease mechanisms are often initially investigated in vivo using imaging, and subsequently correlated with tissue alterations determined with molecular biology and cell culture techniques. Potential therapeutic targets and interventions being explored include regenerative medicine, revascularization and novel drugs.