| Affiliations: | |
| Project Leader: | Anson Harris anson_harris@tamu.edu Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology |
| Faculty Mentor: |
Dr. Christopher Quick, Ph.D.
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Meeting Times:
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TBD |
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Team Size:
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4 (Team Full)
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| Open Spots: | 0 |
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Special Opportunities:
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Significant scientific contribution to a successful project will result in co-authorship of conference proposals
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Team Needs:
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Participants will have the opportunity to develop novel skills while learning about cardiovascular physiology. Special requirements include: all undergraduates will be required to enroll in 3 credit hours of VTPP 291 or 491.
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Description:
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Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) occurs when the left ventricle fails to develop normally, requiring infants to undergo multiple surgeries to survive with a single right ventricle. The incidence of HLHS is nearly 1,000 per year in the United States, and is one of the more common of the congenital heart defects. It is believed that HLHS can result during early fetal development when valves of the ventricle do not open completely or the aorta carrying blood from the left ventricle is narrowed. This hypothesis has not yet been tested. In fact, research to elucidate the causes and treatment of HLHS in human infants is severely limited by the lack of an animal model of HLHS. The purpose of this project is to attempt to develop an animal model of HLHS using the chick embryo model (within the shell or ex-ovo). We hypothesize that coarcting (narrowing) the aorta early in embryonic development will result in HLHS. To our knowledge, this approach has never been attempted. Thus participation in this project will require ingenuity and a willingness to develop new skills. Most importantly, this project will require a high degree of persistence, despite the knowledge that there is a high probability that this project will ultimately fail. The main motivation for participants will be that this project may yield the first animal model for HLHS, providing a much-needed research tool to better the lives of infants with this devastating congenital heart defect.
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