Angiogene antioxidant response in health and disease.

Endothelial cells (EC) exhibit a remarkable and unique plasticity in terms of adapting to oxidative stress conditions in healthy and diseased angiogenesis. Therefore, EC must be equipped with a selective repertoire of detoxifying (antioxidant) mechanisms, enable to preserve redox balance and adjust oxidative stress conditions in angiogenesis. Identification of such antioxidant mechanisms is crucial to gaining better insights in endothelial redox homeostasis and signaling. More importantly this information could be used to establish innovative therapeutic approaches for pathological angiogenesis. Recently we identified a new antioxidant enzyme, called UBIAD1, as a critical rheostat of endothelial redox state in the Golgi compartments (Mugoni et al., Cell, 2013). UBIAD1 is also a key component of the isoprenoid metabolic pathway. These findings have increased our interest on studying the endothelial antioxidant response and in which way it regulates redox signaling and metabolism. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop innovative - and complementary to the existing ones - therapeutic strategies based on genetic or pharmacological manipulation of antioxidants - as redox rheostats - to balance oxygen species or promote oxidative stress in angiogenic diseases. The success of this project is built upon our major expertise in the field of angiogenesis research as well as on the collaborations with leading laboratories that have experience with angiogenesis-related therapies in pre-clinical stages.

Keywords:Redox signaling, Zebrafish model, Metabolism, Oxidative stress, Angiogenesis

Disciplines:Laboratory medicine, Palliative care and end-of-life care, Regenerative medicine, Other basic sciences, Other health sciences, Nursing, Other paramedical sciences, Other translational sciences, Other medical and health sciences