Request for Funding

Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2001

Mentor: Dr. James Chao

Department: Plastic Surgery

Room Number: G8239

Mail Code: 9132

Phone number: 214-822-8207

E-mail: James.Chao@UTSouthwestern.edu

Animal: Adenoviral VEGF

Project Type: Animal-based

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Brief Description of Project:

Muscle flaps are used extensively for surgical repairs and provide accelerated wound healing to increase viability of flaps by providing greater vascularization to the flap. A rate limiting growth factor, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is responsible for neovascularization. We propose to pre-treat surgical areas with adenovires containing VEGF in a rodent model. We will examine if adenoviral VEGF pretreatment will result in increased flap viability. Microdialysis will also be employed to determine interstitial levels of biological signals.

Previous Work:

Dr. Chao recruited and directed five medical students last summer. A project with rodents was undertaken to investigate the use of alloderm as a suitable material to be used in ligament injuries. This work is currently being written up in a manuscript.

Return to UT Southwestern Homepage

Return to Student Research Projects Index