Survivin, Vascular Mechanobiology, and Mechanomedicine

Vascular smooth muscle cells synthesizing matrix proteins within stiff microenvironments.

This project explores how survivin, a key protein in stiffness-dependent cellular processes, regulates vascular and cardiac cell behaviors linked to cardiovascular diseases. 

Project is Not Currently Available

This project is not being offered for the current term. Please check back next semester for updates.

Project description

Arterial and cardiac stiffening are key pathologies in atherosclerosis, hypertension, and heart failure and serve as major risk factors for cardiovascular events. Increased arterial and cardiac stiffness induces a phenotypic switch, hypermigration, and hyperproliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), contributing to neointima formation and cardiac fibrosis. However, the mechanisms driving these processes remain unclear. Our lab recently discovered that survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis protein, is highly expressed in stiff environments and mediates stiffness-dependent cell proliferation, extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis (e.g., collagen), and intracellular stiffening, as shown by RT-qPCR, immunoblotting, immunostaining, cell proliferation assays, and atomic force microscopy. However, critical questions remain: (Project 1) how survivin expression is regulated by stiffness in VSMCs and CFs, and (Project 2) how survivin modulates cell proliferation, ECM synthesis, and intracellular stiffness in VSMCs and CFs. To address these gaps, we recently generated transcriptomic data, identifying several candidate regulators of survivin. This funding will enable two undergraduate students to test these candidates, contributing to this ongoing investigation. 

Project outcome

Students will develop skills in reading scientific articles, critical thinking, and experimental techniques such as immunoblotting, immunostaining, quantitative PCR, fluorescence microscopy, atomic force microscopy, transcriptomic analysis, and image analysis. They will analyze data on vascular smooth muscle cell or cardiac fibroblast phenotype, morphology, proliferation, motility, and molecular pathways in response to matrix stiffening and survivin, exploring individual VSMC responses to understand cardiovascular disease progression. Additionally, students will enhance oral and written communication skills through collaboration with their research mentor and lab members.

Students will also have opportunities to present their work at local and international conferences and contribute to research articles. For example, with the current funding, one of my students will deliver both an oral and poster presentation at the American Society of Cell Biology meeting, one of the largest international conferences in cell biology. Furthermore, the results presented at this conference will be submitted for publication within a few months. These examples highlight the tangible learning outcomes for students. 

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment Year-long (10-12 months)
Start time

Spring (January/February 2025)

Summer (May/June 2025) 

Fall (August/September 2025)

Winter (December 2025)

In-person, remote, or hybrid? In-Person Project (Can only function with in-person engagement)
Level of collaboration Individual Student Project
Benefits

Academic Credit

Stipend

Who is eligible Sophomores and Juniors; Applicants should have experience in cell culture techniques as well as practical expertise in performing molecular and biochemical experiments. Completion of relevant coursework, such as cell biology, biochemistry, or molecular biology, is highly desirable and would further strengthen the candidate’s application. 

Project mentor

Yongho Bae

Assistant Professor

Pathology and Anatomical Sciences

955 Main Street, Room 4262

Phone: (716) 829-3523

Email: yonghoba@buffalo.edu

Start the project

  1. Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
  2. After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.) 

Preparation activities

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase. 

Reading research articles:

  1. A FAK-Cas-Rac-lamellipodin signaling module transduces extracellular matrix stiffness into mechanosensitive cell cycling 
  2. Survivin as a mediator of stiffness-induced cell cycle progression and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells 
  3. Survivin regulates intracellular stiffness and extracellular matrix production in vascular smooth muscle cells 

Keywords

Cell biology, mechanobiology, pathology, mechanomedicine, diseases, anatomical sciences, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences