PERLECAN AND HEPARANASE IN CARTILAGE GROWTH AND HEALING

该子项目是利用 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是 中心，不一定是研究者的机构。 在第一个项目中，Farach-Carson博士提出精确定义串珠素（Pln）及其相关硫酸乙酰肝素（HS）蛋白聚糖链在软骨生物学中的结构和功能作用。HS蛋白聚糖最近已成为软骨生物学的关键调节因子，并在胚胎发育、成年生物体中软骨结构的维持以及由年龄、骨关节炎或损伤引起的受损软骨的再生中发挥关键作用。Farach-Carson等人将使用体外软骨形成模型和在Pln或HS生物合成酶中携带突变的小鼠的组合，提出Pln和乙酰肝素酶I是正常软骨形成和软骨愈合中的重要参与者的假设，并且它们在这些过程中的复杂作用与在各个结构域中加密的专门功能相关，并且需要HS的存在和周转。法拉奇-卡森博士是一名全职教授，不会有导师。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. In the first project, Dr. Farach-Carson proposes to define precisely the structural and functional roles that perlecan (Pln) and its associated heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycan chains play in cartilage biology. HS proteoglycans have recently emerged as key regulators of cartilage biology and play critical roles during embryonic development, in maintenance of cartilage structures in the adult organism, and in regrowth of damaged cartilage resulting from age, osteoarthritis or injury. Using a combination of in vitro chondrogenesis models and mice harboring mutations in Pln or HS biosynthetic enzymes, Dr. Farach-Carson et al. will address the hypothesis that Pln and heparanase I are essential players in normal chondrogenesis and cartilage healing, and that their complex roles in these processes are associated with specialized functions encrypted within the various domains and require the presence and turnover of HS. Dr. Farach-Carson is a full professor and will not have a mentor.