Role of Acid-Sensing Ion Channels in Pulmonary Vascular Smooth Muscle Store-Opera

描述（由申请人提供）： 博士Nikki Jernigan获得了新墨西哥州大学（UNM）生物医学科学博士学位，并在该部门接受博士后研究员培训。密西西比大学和新墨西哥大学生理学系。Jernigan博士在高质量的同行评审期刊上发表了10篇第一作者的手稿。她是UNM血管生理学小组的成员，该小组包括六名教师，他们在从整体动物研究到分子技术的广泛技术方法方面具有专业知识。该小组拥有NHLBI资助的心血管训练补助金，并保持着培养研究生和博士后研究员的良好记录。步行者和雷斯塔博士将担任尼基杰尼根博士的研究计划和职业发展的导师。Kanagy博士、Prossnitz博士和Shuttleworth博士将在Jernigan博士的咨询委员会任职。他们都有很强的研究项目和相当丰富的指导初级教师的经验。根据拟议的培训计划，Jernigan博士将以她在心血管生理学方面的背景为基础，发展电生理学和钙成像方面的新专业知识。杰尼根的培训的其他方面将是她的演讲，教学，写作和批判性思维技能的完善。目前的研究计划集中在一类独特的离子通道，酸敏感离子通道（ASIC），以及它们在介导肺血管平滑肌（VSM）钙库操纵的钙内流（SOCE）中的作用。这项工作意义重大，因为它将为SOCE机制提供新的见解，SOCE是调节肺血管阻力的基础，肺血管阻力在慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）和睡眠呼吸暂停等疾病状态下发生改变。长期目标是确定ASIC介导的SOCE在慢性肺部疾病期间对肺血管阻力升高的贡献。 非专业相关性：与身体其他部位相比，肺循环中的压力相对较低。慢性阻塞性肺病与肺部血压升高有关，这会给心脏带来额外的工作负荷，导致右心衰竭。COPD期间，肺VSM基础钙和钙内流增加导致压力升高。该项目将确定一类独特的离子通道在介导钙进入肺VSM中的作用。(End摘要）

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Dr. Nikki Jernigan earned a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of New Mexico (UNM) and trained as a postdoctoral fellow in the Dept. of Physiology at the University of Mississippi and at UNM. Dr. Jernigan has published 10 first-authored manuscripts in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals. She is a member of the UNM Vascular Physiology Group, which includes six faculty members with expertise in a wide array of technical approaches ranging from whole animal studies to molecular techniques. This group holds a NHLBI-funded Cardiovascular Training Grant, and maintains an excellent record of training both graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Drs. Walker and Resta will serve as mentors for Dr. Nikki Jernigan's research program and career development. Drs. Kanagy, Prossnitz, and Shuttleworth will serve on Dr. Jernigan's advisory committee. All have strong research programs and considerable experience in mentoring junior faculty. Under the proposed training plan, Dr. Jernigan will build upon her background in cardiovascular physiology and develop new expertise in electrophysiology and calcium imaging. Other facets of Dr. Jernigan's training will be the refinement of her presentation, teaching, writing, and critical thinking skills. The current research proposal focuses on a unique class of ion channels, acid-sensing ion channels (ASIC), and their role in mediating pulmonary vascular smooth muscle (VSM) store-operated calcium entry (SOCE). This work is significant because it will provide new insights into the mechanism of SOCE as a foundation for the regulation of pulmonary vascular resistance, which is altered in disease states such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sleep apnea. The long-term objective is to determine the contribution of ASIC-mediated SOCE contributes to elevated pulmonary vascular resistance during chronic lung diseases. Lay Relevance: The pressure in the pulmonary circulation is relatively low compared to the rest of the body. COPD is associated with increased blood pressure in the lung which places an extra workload on the heart and leads to right heart failure. Increases in pulmonary VSM basal calcium and calcium entry contribute to this elevated pressure during COPD. The proposed project will determine the role of a unique class of ion channels, in mediating calcium entry into pulmonary VSM. (End of Abstract)