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SCHWARTZ LAB
home page
This is the home page for Steve Schwartz' lab. Links at the left are to
various lab resources.
The central interest of my lab is in the
molecular biology underlying two diseases:
atherosclerosis and hypertension.
| Our central interest in atherosclerosis is in
the plaque macrophage. Recently, Tom Nhan, a graduate student in the
lab, discovered a very unusual pathway for death in
plaque macrophage. Based on studies we had done on a systematic model
for plaque rupture in mouse lesions, we have suggested that this pathway may
be critical to formation of the necrotic core of the plaque and to the way
plaques
rupture. |
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| Our central interest in hypertension is in
the molecular basis for arterial wall thickening.
This
is based on very simple idea. (for a
slide show click here ) In order for blood pressure to be
raised, physiologic models showed that the MASS of the arterial wall must be
increased. This mass, stimulated even by normal stimuli, will over
respond, elevating resistance on pressure. To accomplish this, the
artery must have a specialized signaling system to maintain mass as needed
to control flow and pressure. Using array display, Larry Adams, a
fellow in the lab,
discovered a gene, RGS-5, that appears (based so far on structure and in
vitro studies) to fit the hypothesis for a controller of arterial mass. |
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| The third area of the lab's interest is in
atheroscleroitc plaque smooth muscle monoclonality. Dr. Schwartz'
mentor, Earl Benditt demonstrated monoclonality 30 years ago. Since
the usual examples of monoclonality are neoplasms, Benditt's data upset the
usual concept of atherosclerosis. However, Chuck Murry, then a fellow
in the Schwartz lab, established that
monoclonality was real. The critical issue is whether this
clonality arises as a mutation or has a developmental lineage origin.
Current work in this area has used arrays to identify the unique phenotype
of the plaque smooth muscle cell. |
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other links:
For more personal information:
Steve's home page.
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If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, please
feel welcome to contact
sharon1@u.washington.edu.
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UW
Cardiovascular Pathology Training Program