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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Summary Sentence: "From Mechanosensitive Genes & Epigenetics To Nanomedicine: Going with the Flow to Develop Novel Anti-atherogenic Therapies" - Hanjoong Jo, Ph.D. - Emory University / Georgia Tech
Full Summary: The Petit Institute Breakfast Club seminar series was started with the spirit of the Institute's interdisciplinary mission in mind and started to feature local Petit Institute faculty member's research in a seminar format. Faculty are often asked to speak at other universities and conferences, but rarely present at their home institution, this seminar series is an attempt to close that gap. The Petit Institute Breakfast Club is open to anyone in the bio-community.
Breakfast Club Seminar Series"From Mechanosensitive Genes & Epigenetics To Nanomedicine: Going with the Flow to Develop Novel Anti-atherogenic Therapies"
Hanjoong Jo, Ph.D.
John and Jan Portman Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Division of Cardiology
Emory University and Georgia Tech
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Vascular Mechanobiology and Nanomedicine, Role of mechanosensitive genes, miRNAs and epigenetics in atherosclerosis, RNA-based therapeutics, nanomedicine, endothelial mechanobiology
From Mechanobiology to RNA-based Therapeutics and Nanomedicine: Hanjoong Jo and his lab study how mechanical force associated with blood flow regulates vascular biology and cardiovascular disease, especially atherosclerosis, aortic valve (AV) calcification, and abdominal aortic aneurysms. His lab developed a mouse model of flow-induced atherosclerosis and in vitro shear stress systems to understand the role of flow in endothelial cells and atherosclerosis. Using the animal model, his lab discovered numerous mechanosensitive genes (mRNAs and microRNAs) that are regulated by disturbed flow and their role in atherosclerosis and AV calcification. Recently, his lab has shown that disturbed flow regulates mechanosensitive genes by controlling epigenomic DNA methylation patterns and that inhibition of a key enzyme DNMT by 5-Aza-deoxycytidine can prevent atherosclerosis in mice. His lab has begun taking steps to translate these animal studies toward the clinic by developing better gene and drug therapies using nanotechnology-based delivery approaches and better therapeutic strategies.
