COBRE Research Projects

Completed Projects

Organization of the Nerve Terminal by Synaptic Cleft Components
(Hiroshi Nishimune, Ph.D., P.I.)

 

Preimplantation Embryonic Secreted/Released Proteins:  Embryo Quality Predictors
(Lane Christenson, Ph.D., PI)

 

Genetic Models of Congenital Vascular Malformations
(Jay Vivian, Ph.D., P.I.)

 

Regulation of Gene Expression in the TH2 Cytokine Locus
(Patrick E. Fields, Ph.D., P.I.)

 

Germ Cell Development in the atrichosis Mutant Mouse
(T. Rajendra Kumar, Ph.D., P.I.)

 

 

Active Projects

Five Research Projects will be funded for a maximum of three years.

Project 3:

Impact of early experience on vulvovaginal sensitivity in adult mouse

(Julie Christianson, Ph.D., P.I.)

Vulvodynia is one of the least studied chronic pain conditions in the medical literature, despite reports that an estimated 15% of women experience some form of chronic or evoked vulvovaginal pain lasting at least 3 months.  We are interested in the role that stress or visceral irritation during early development can play in the etiology of Vulvodynia.   The experiments in this project are designed to 1) test the hypothesis that neonatal irritation or stress in mice induces a long-lasting vaginal hypersensitivity and an enhanced nociceptive phenotype of sensory neurons innervating the vagina and vulva; and 2) test the hypothesis that ablation of a specific population of sensory neurons can reverse vulvovaginal hyperalgesia resulting from neonatal stress or irritation.

Project 4:

Regulation of Gene Expression in the TH2 Cytokine Locus
(Patrick E. Fields, Ph.D., P.I.)

Differentiation of Th2 cells, and their secretion of specific cytokines, are important for the development of humoral immune responses.  Th2 cytokine genes reside in a single, coordinately regulated locus (the Th2 cytokine locus), and we hypothesize that positive and negative regulatory elements coordinate cytokine gene expression within this locus.  Our Specific Aims are to: 1) Identify functional GATA3 and STAT6 binding sites in the Th2 locus; and 2) Generate a reporter system where Th2 cytokine gene transcription can be evaluated simultaneously.