Journal Club - January 2023

Description

Loukas Diafos from the University of California at San Francisco will discuss the paper that he co-authored with Dr. Elizabeth Crouch, UCSF, entitled “Ensembles of endothelial and mural cells promote angiogenesis in prenatal human brain,” originally published in Cell. Here is a link to the paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36179668/

The Neurovascular Development lab of the Crouch Lab (crouchlab.ucsf.edu), studies how brain blood vessels grow and interact with other brain cells. In part, this interest is inspired by germinal matrix hemorrhage, a complication of preterm birth. This hemorrhage can cause hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, and death, and unfortunately there are currently no treatments. It remains unclear why vasculature in this developmental window is particularly sensitive. The research of the Crouch Lab revolves around defining the stages of vascular stem cells in the developing brain and understanding the mechanisms that regulate their functions. This knowledge is then applied to produce novel technologies and therapeutic strategies for different brain hemorrhages in neonatal and pediatric patients. Toward these goals, the lab utilizes neuropathological specimens, flow cytometry (FACS), bioinformatics, and cell culture, including organoid models.