Download (http://omrf.org/about-omrf/). RESEARCH PROGRAMS: (http://omrf

OKLAHOMA MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION: Founded in 1946, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation is one of the nation’s oldest and most respected nonprofit
biomedical research institutes. Located in Oklahoma City, OMRF fosters a worldwide
reputation for excellence by following an innovative cross-disciplinary approach to medical
research. OMRF scientists are dedicated to understanding and developing more effective
treatments for human disease, focusing on such critical research areas as heart disease,
cancer, lupus and Alzheimer’s disease. OMRF is home to Oklahoma’s only Howard
Hughes Medical Institute investigator, and with more than 700 U.S. and international
patents, OMRF ranks among the nation’s leaders in patents per scientist. Breakthroughs in our labs have led to three FDA-approved drugs, including the first for a
deadly blood infection that claims 200,000 American lives each year. OMRF also
discovered the enzyme believed responsible for Alzheimer’s disease, and a drug born at
OMRF was the first licensed under the European Union’s centralized procedure. Along
the way, OMRF has garnered worldwide media attention, from leading scientific
publications like The New England Journal of Medicine and Science to The New York
Times and The Wall Street Journal. By pushing the boundaries of biomedical science, our
researchers are helping to win the war against human disease, one discovery at a time.
(http://omrf.org/about-omrf/). RESEARCH PROGRAMS: ARTHRITIS & CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY PROGRAM: Scientists in the Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Research Program focus on understanding the etiology,
pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of systemic autoimmunity, as well as
understanding immunologic responses to infection and vaccination. Using genetic,
genomic, proteomic, immunologic and molecular approaches, our investigators are
working to understand complex human diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus,
Sjögren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory myositis, multiple sclerosis and
thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, as well as to decipher mechanisms of immune
protection after influenza or anthrax vaccination. To facilitate these patient-oriented
research activities, some of our scientists are also working to develop novel methods and
algorithms to mine large datasets and evaluate complex human genetic diseases.
(http://omrf.org/programs/arthritis-clinical-immunology-research-program/)
Dr Deshmukh Laboratory: Does bad oral health during one’s
lifetime lead to generalized health problems at later time
points? My laboratory is interested in asking this question in
the context of autoimmune disorders systemic lupus
erythematous and Sjögren’s syndrome. We are investigating
the role of microbes in initiation and continuation of
autoimmunity. Bad oral health causes significant changes in
the bacterial populations within the oral cavity. We feel that if
a person has the right combination of autoimmunity genes,
exposure of immune system to certain bacteria under
inflammatory conditions can lead to autoimmunity. Our goal is
to identify the microbial culprits and understand the mechanisms responsible for initiation
of autoimmunity. In the meantime, our message is: brush twice, floss at least once,
visit the dentist regularly and maintain a good oral health.
Past Students:
1) Agnieszka Szymula (2010-2012). Presently PhD student at Imperial College
London. 2) Barbara Szczerba (2011-2013). Presently PhD student at University of Basel,
Switzerland. 3) Paulina Rybakowska (2012-2013). Presently Research Assistant in Deshmukh
Lab, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Current Students: Paulina Kaplonek, Nina Wolska.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dr Axtell Laboratory: MS is an autoimmune disease
that affects the ability of the nervous system to carry
signals to and from the brain. Inflammation causes
damage to myelin, the protective covering that
surrounds nerve cells, slowing and sometimes
blocking nerve impulses. The disease carries with it a
variety of symptoms, including problems with vision,
tremors, paralysis, painful spasms, imbalance and
cognitive changes. Multiple sclerosis While MS shares
some similarities with lupus, Sjögren’s Syndrome and
other autoimmune diseases, it actually is the black
sheep of autoimmune diseases. Drugs that are used
to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus actually make MS worse. In my lab, we use animal
models and patient samples from OMRF’s MS Center of Excellence to understand why
MS behaves differently from other autoimmune diseases and why some MS patients do
not respond well to standard therapy. By studying human disease specimens and animal
models, we have great potential to identify new therapeutic targets and develop prognostic
tests that will bring clinical care of MS into the forefront of personalize medicine.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE CARDIOVASCULAR BIOLOGY RESEARCH PROGRAM, headed by Rodger P. McEver, M.D., investigates fundamental mechanisms involved in blood coagulation,
inflammation and atherogenesis, with special emphasis on the regulation of these
processes. (http://omrf.org/programs/cardiovascular-biology-research-program/)
Dr Griffin Laboratory. My lab is interested in the
blood vessel development. Certain diseases require
blood vessel development for their progression:
tumors, for example, thrive on blood flow. In those
situations, we want to know how to stop vessel growth
in order to stop disease progression. At other times,
such as when wounds are healing, blood vessel
growth is necessary and positive. In those cases we
want to learn how to build new vessels. Blood vessel
development is similar in mice and humans, so we use
mice to study and manipulate vessels. Much of our
work is carried out in mouse embryos, since they
undergo rapid and easily visible blood vessel development. Because we want to
understand what genes are required for blood vessel development, we study certain
enzymes that help turn genes on and off. We use genetically engineered mice to shut
down these enzymes in order to determine the effect on blood vessel development. Once
we identify interesting and abnormal effects on blood vessels, we work backwards to
identify the genes that were mistakenly turned off or on to influence abnormal vessel
growth. Identification of such genes is important because they represent therapeutic
targets for controlling the process of blood vessel development.
FREE RADICALE BIOLOGY AND AGING RESEARCH PROGRAM: Scientists in our
program study free radicals, the highly reactive molecules capable of inducing oxidative
damage to DNA, protein, and lipids. The intra- and extracellular content of these species
increase during a variety of diseases. Free radical damage is therefore believed to
contribute to the accompanying degeneration of physiologic function. Paradoxically, free
radicals are also generated in response to normal physiologic stimuli and can exert
reversible effects on protein function indicative of metabolic regulation.
(http://omrf.org/programs/free-radical-biology-aging-research-program/)
Dr Lim Laboratory. Adult cardiovascular disease is the
most common cause of death in the industrialized
world. In the United States, cardiovascular disease
affects 1 in 3 adults and causes a death every 39
seconds on average. Many people associate one of
the beginnings of cardiovascular disease with free
radicals, which are by-products of our cells converting
oxygen into energy. What we’re finding is that while
free radicals may have some negative effects, such as
causing damage to DNA and proteins, they are also
necessary for normal functioning of the heart.
In my lab, we use the fruit fly, Drosophila, to study new
mechanisms and therapeutic approaches for cardiac diseases. The fly serves as a useful
model for cardiac diseases as it is the only invertebrate model system with a pumping
heart that is similar to the vertebrate heart in terms of its formation and function, but is
much less complex. Both the fly and vertebrate hearts have two types of cells that “talk”
to each other. Such interactions are essential for proper functioning of the heart, and the
disruption of which leads to cardiac dysfunction and disease. We hope to identify the
genes and pathways necessary for the cross-talk between heart cells in flies, in particular,
how free radicals could be involved in mediating the interactions. This could provide
insights into human heart function and aid in the development of therapies for cardiac
diseases.
THE IMMUNOBIOLOGY AND CANCER RESEARCH PROGRAM is principally
concerned with understanding the normal development and function of cells in the immune
system. We hope this research will, in turn, help shed light on disease, as abnormalities
in these processes result in leukemia, lymphomas and immunodeficiency diseases.
Although astonishing progress has been made, we have much to learn if we are truly to
conquer these conditions.(http://omrf.org/programs/immunobiology-cancer-researchprogram/) THE CELL CYCLE AND CANCER BIOLOGY RESEARCH PROGRAM focuses on basic biological processes that control cell growth and cell division. Researchers within
this program use cutting edge technologies in molecular biology, genetics, and advanced
microscopy to investigate the factors that regulate genome stability in experimental
systems such as budding yeast, Xenopus laevis, and cultured mammalian cells. (http://omrf.org/programs/cell-cycle-cancer-biology-research-program/) THE COAGULATION BIOLOGY LABORATORY, headed by Charles T. Esmon, Ph.D.,
investigates the fundamental mechanisms involved in blood coagulation, including
complex biological processes such as inflammation, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
(http://omrf.org/programs/coagulation-biology-laboratory/) FOR LIST OF 2013 OMRF PUBLICATIONS: http://omrf.org/research-faculty/2013-scientific-publications/ FOR INFORMATION ON LIVING IN OKLAHOMA CITY: http://www.visitokc.com/