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Sue Lessner, Ph.D.
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Title:
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PUBMED Link:
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Lessner
SM |
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Research:
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Dr. Lessner's research interests center on vascular remodeling and angiogenesis (new
blood vessel growth) in the contexts of atherosclerosis and tissue engineering. Vascular
remodeling can be defined as any lasting change in the diameter, thickness, or structure
of a mature blood vessel. In atherosclerosis, vascular remodeling acts as a compensatory
mechanism to preserve blood flow in the face of plaque growth, which tends to cause
stenosis or narrowing of the artery. However, vascular remodeling in atherosclerotic
arteries has been correlated pathologically with plaque rupture, which leads to adverse
clinical events such as heart attack and stroke. I am particularly interested in the role
of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in vascular remodeling and plaque vulnerability. MMPs
are a class of enzymes which can degrade the extracellular matrix. We have shown in a
mouse model of atherosclerosis that one of these enzymes, MMP-9, is required for vascular
remodeling. Control of vascular remodeling is also important to the field of
cardiovascular tissue engineering, since, once implanted in the body, engineered
constructs are subject to the same types of cellular interactions as native tissues. Another
phenomenon which contributes to destabilization and rupture of atherosclerotic lesions is
plaque angiogenesis. Like tumors, atherosclerotic plaques become hypoxic as they increase
in thickness, due to oxygen transport limitations to the central core of the lesion.
Tissue hypoxia promotes angiogenesis, or growth of new capillaries into the oxygen-starved
region. I am interested in understanding both the fundamental biology of angiogenesis
within atherosclerotic lesions as well as how angiogenesis contributes to plaque
instability, using both in vitro and in vivo approaches. I use confocal microscopy and
other imaging modalities available through the Instrumentation Resource Facility to assess
vascularization both in atherosclerotic lesions and in subdermal implants in mouse models.
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Recent Publications:
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- E. Ivan, J. Khatri, C. Johnson, R. Magid, D. Godin, S. Nandi, S. M. Lessner, and Z. S.
Galis, “Expansive Arterial Remodeling Is Associated with Increased Neointimal
Macrophage Foam Cell Content. The Murine Model of Macrophage-rich Carotid Artery
Lesions,” Circulation, 105, 2686-2691 (2002).
- S. M. Lessner, H. L. Prado, E. K. Waller, and Z. S. Galis, “Atherosclerotic
Lesions Grow Through Recruitment and Proliferation of Circulating Monocytes in a Murine
Model,” Am. J. Pathol., 160, 2145-2155 (2002).
- J. J. Khatri, C. Johnson, R. Magid, S. M. Lessner, K. M. Laude, S. I. Dikalov, D. G.
Harrison, H.-J. Sung, Y. Rong, and Z. S. Galis, “Vascular Oxidant Stress
Enhances Progression and Angiogenesis of Experimental Atheroma,” Circulation,
109, 520-525 (2004).
- C. Johnson, H.-J. Sung, S. M. Lessner, M. E. Fini, and Z. S. Galis, “Matrix
Metalloproteinase-9 Is Required for Adequate Angiogenic Revascularization of Ischemic
Tissues. Potential Role in Capillary Branching,” Circ. Res., 94, 262-268 (2004).
- S.-H. Kim, S. M. Lessner, Y. Sakurai, and Z. S. Galis, “Cyclophilin A as a
Novel Biphasic Mediator of Endothelial Activation and Dysfunction,” Am. J.
Pathol., 164, 1567-1574 (2004).
- S. M. Lessner and Z. S. Galis, “Matrix Metalloproteinases and Vascular
Endothelium-Mononuclear Cell Close Encounters,” Trends Cardiovasc. Med., 14,
105-111 (2004).
- S. M. Lessner, D. E. Martinson, and Z. S. Galis, “Compensatory Vascular
Remodeling during Atherosclerotic Lesion Growth Depends on Matrix Metalloproteinase-9
Activity,” Arterioscl. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., 24, 2123-2129 (2004).
- H.-J. Sung, C. E. Johnson, S. M. Lessner, R. Magid, D. N. Drury, and Z. S. Galis,
“Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 Facilitates Collagen Remodeling and
Angiogenesis for Vascular Constructs,” Tissue Eng., 11, 267-276 (2005).
- S. Ito, H.-W. Kim, O. Nakagawa, S. M. Lessner, K. Akram, M. Ushio-Fukai, and T. Fukai,
“Antioxidant-1 (Atox1): A Novel Copper Dependent Transcription Factor Involved
in Cell Proliferation,” (submitted - in revision).
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Education:
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- 1983 B.S.E. Chemical Engineering Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
- 1984-1987 Staff Scientist, Giner, Inc., Waltham, MA
- 1988-1995 Research Assistant/Teaching Assistant, Dept. of Chemical Engineering,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
- 2000 Ph.D. Chemical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
- 2000-2003 Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of
Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- 2004 Instructor, Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University School of
Medicine
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Contact Information:
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Email: lessner@gw.med.sc.edu
Phone: 803-733-1503
Address: Building1 Room C-38
USC School of Medicine
Columbia, SC 29209
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| Columbia, SC 29208 803-777-7000 info@sc.edu |
©
University of South Carolina Board of Trustees |
Cell and Developmental
Biology and Anatomy
Columbia, SC 29208
(803) 733-3159 --- (803) 733-3153 fax
Email Us at dba@gw.med.sc.edu |
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