Probing biology and disease
Our cells constantly receive cues from both inside and outside the body, prompted by conditions such as injury, aging, infection, stress or even food.
To adjust to these cues, cells send and receive signals through biological pathways. Our research into the codes and cell changes associated with normal development and aging, and distinguishing them from those linked to disease and disability, will lead to new strategies to protect our health.
Director's statement
We are using model organisms—mice, fish, flies, worms and human stem cells to (1) unravel gene functions linked to mutations and epigenetic factors; (2) explore the development and regenerative capacity of the brain, heart, muscles, pancreas, limbs, liver and other organs; and (3) probe the biology of aging and organ/tissue maintenance to maintain a well-functioning organism. These insights provide the tools needed to uncover novel therapeutic targets for heart disease, neurodegeneration, muscle disorders, diabetes, cancer and other debilitating diseases.
– Rolf Bodmer, Ph.D., Program Director
Appointments
Program Director
Adjunct Appointments
Paul Grossfield, M.D.
Pamela Itkin-Ansari, Ph.D.
Chris Larson, Ph.D.
Keith Murai, Ph.D.
Publications
Age-dependent electrical and morphological remodeling of the Drosophila heart caused by hERG/seizure mutations.
Ocorr K, Zambon A, Nudell Y, Pineda S, Diop S, Tang M, Akasaka T, Taylor E
PLoS Genet 2017 May ;13(5):e1006786
Nuclear Pores Regulate Muscle Development and Maintenance by Assembling a Localized Mef2C Complex.
Raices M, Bukata L, Sakuma S, Borlido J, Hernandez LS, Hart DO, D'Angelo MA
Dev Cell 2017 Jun 5 ;41(5):540-554.e7
Spatiotemporal regulation of autophagy during Caenorhabditis elegans aging.
Chang JT, Kumsta C, Hellman AB, Adams LM, Hansen M
Elife 2017 Jul 4 ;6
Getting under the skin: Cuticle damage elicits systemic autophagy response in <i>C. elegans</i>.
Kumsta C, Hansen M
J Cell Biol 2019 Nov 13 ;
Macrophages fine tune satellite cell fate in dystrophic skeletal muscle of mdx mice.
Madaro L, Torcinaro A, De Bardi M, Contino FF, Pelizzola M, Diaferia GR, Imeneo G, Bouchè M, Puri PL, De Santa F
PLoS Genet 2019 Oct ;15(10):e1008408
Model System Identification of Novel Congenital Heart Disease Gene Candidates: focus on RPL13.
Schroeder AM, Allahyari M, Vogler G, Missinato MA, Nielsen T, Yu MS, Theis JL, Larsen LA, Goyal P, Rosenfeld J, Nelson TJ, Olson TM, Colas AR, Grossfeld P, Bodmer R
Hum Mol Genet 2019 Oct 18 ;
Tumorsphere Derivation and Treatment from Primary Tumor Cells Isolated from Mouse Rhabdomyosarcomas.
Boscolo Sesillo F, Sacco A
J Vis Exp 2019 Sep 13 ;(151)
Transcription Factor-Directed Re-wiring of Chromatin Architecture for Somatic Cell Nuclear Reprogramming toward trans-Differentiation.
Dall'Agnese A, Caputo L, Nicoletti C, di Iulio J, Schmitt A, Gatto S, Diao Y, Ye Z, Forcato M, Perera R, Bicciato S, Telenti A, Ren B, Puri PL
Mol Cell 2019 Nov 7 ;76(3):453-472.e8
The Functional Polymorphism R129W in the <i>BVES</i> Gene Is Associated with Sporadic Tetralogy of Fallot in the Han Chinese Population.
Shi Y, Li Y, Wang Y, Zhuang J, Wang H, Hu M, Mo X, Yue S, Chen Y, Fan X, Chen J, Cai W, Zhu X, Wan Y, Zhong Y, Ye X, Li F, Zhou Z, Dai G, Luo R, Ocorr K, Jiang Z, Li X, Zhu P, Wu X, Yuan W
Genet Test Mol Biomarkers 2019 Sep ;23(9):601-609