Program Project Grant:
Integrative Study of Brain Vascular Malformations
Core C: Laboratory

Abstract

Core C, the Laboratory Core, will provide infrastructure and experimental methodology for this Program Project Grant application. Core C includes a small animal surgical lab, a cellular and molecular biology lab, and an imaging analysis lab. Key portions of the experiments within the PPG will be performed in the Core that will furnish quality control and consistency for the experiments.

Aim 1 will provide a reproducible brain non-tumor angiogenesis (neo-vascularization) model in the mouse and the technology to deliver naked DNA constructs of interest to brain parenchyma. Project 3 (Boudreau) and Project 4 (Nishimura) will investigate the interaction of the homeobox genes and the integrins to develop abnormal cerebral microvessels, therefore, in vivo brain non-tumor angiogenesis model will provide a unique tool to examine whether the hypothesized mechanisms are rational. Aim 2 will organize and process human blood samples, extract DNA, and perform ApoE genotyping, which will support the study of genetic polymorphisms from Project 1 (Young). In addition, Core C will process genotyping for the transgenic mice study in Project 4.

The Core will assist in the design of the experiments, the writing of experimental proposals, solving methodological problems, and will provide a forum for discussing and interpreting results.

Key personnel