András Czirók, PhD

Assistant Professor
Anatomy and Cell Biology

Ph.D.: 2000, Eotvos University, Budapest, Hungary
Postdoctoral: 2000-2003, University of Kansas Medical Center

Publications:List of Publications in PubMed

Research Focus

Vasculogenesis, the de novo assembly of vessels from endothelial precursors, is a fundamental process common to both embryonic development and certain pathophysiologies. Recent advances in imaging technology allowed the in vivo visualization of endothelial cell dynamics during vasculogenesis in avian embryos. We showed that the formation of vascular cords from isolated clusters of angioblasts involves extensive invasive activity. During this process, vasculogenic sprouting, a group of endothelial cells invades hundreds of micrometers into avascular areas, and thereby lays down the structure of the primordial vascular plexus. We aim to determine the specific role of growth factor signaling and extracellular matrix components, primarily fibronectin, in the patterning mechanism.

We utilize an in vivo computational bioassay, i.e., the quantitative characterization of in situ endothelial cell behavior, when subjected to experimental agents perturbing normal cell surface receptor function. Such studies give a substantial insight into the control of vascular cell behavior and vascular bed patterning. Understanding these mechanisms is required for therapeutic vascularization approaches to ischemic disease, repairing endothelial injury, as well as establishing a blood supply in engineered tissues.

Publications:

1. Perryn ED, Czirók A, Little CD.
   Vascular sprout formation entails tissue deformations and VE-cadherin-dependent cell-autonomous motility.
   Dev Biol. 313:545-55 (2008).
2. Czirók A, Zamir EA, Szabo A, Little CD.
   Multicellular sprouting during vasculogenesis.
   Curr Top Dev Biol. 81:269-89. (2008).
3. Szabo A, Perryn ED, Czirók A.
   Network formation of tissue cells via preferential attraction to elongated structures.
   Phys Rev Lett. 98(3):038102 (2007).
4. Zamir EA, Czirók A, Cui C, Little CD, Rongish BJ.
   Mesodermal cell displacements during avian gastrulation are due to both individual cell-autonomous and convective tissue movements.
   Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 103(52):19806-11 (2006).
5. Czirók A, Zach J, Kozel BA, Mecham RP, Davis EC, Rongish BJ.
   Elastic fiber macro-assembly is a hierarchical, cell motion-mediated process.
   J Cell Physiol. 207(1):97-106. (2006).
6. Rupp PA, Czirók A, Little CD.
   alphavbeta3 integrin-dependent endothelial cell dynamics in vivo.
   Development. 131(12):2887-97 (2004)
7. Czirók A, Rongish BJ, Little CD.
   Extracellular matrix dynamics during vertebrate axis formation.
   Dev Biol. 268(1):111-22 (2004).

Funding:

• Czirók, A PI
  Role of fibronectin in vascular plexus self-organization during embryogenesis.
  NIH/NHLBI
• Czirók, A PI
  The impact of VEGF, FGF and integrin interactions on primordial endothelial cell motility during vasculogenesis.
  AHA
• Little, C PI (Czirók A and Rongish B Co-investigators)
  Early Vertebrate Morphogenesis: A systems approach
  Mathers Charitable Foundation
• Rongish, B PI (Czirók A Co-investigator)
  Computational Imaging of the ECM During Avian Heart Morphogenesis
  NIH/NHLBI

Contact information:

The University of Kansas Medical Center
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
2005 WHE
3901 Rainbow Blvd.
Kansas City, KS 66160

(913) 945-6683 (office tele)
(913) 945-6703 (lab tele)