| Affiliations: | Michael E. DeBakey Institute Undergraduate Research Program |
| Project Leader: | Vinay Khanijow vpk97@tamu.edu Biomedical Sciences |
| Faculty Mentor: | Ranjeet Dongaonkar, Ph.D. |
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Meeting Times:
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Summer 2016 (complete) |
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Team Size:
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4 (Team Full) |
| Open Spots: | 0 |
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Special Opportunities:
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Potential co-authorship of publications, research experience, resume, leadership and team cooperation skills. |
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Team Needs:
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Willing to contribute outside of meeting times viz online assignments. Basic computer knowledge, literature review, equipment use and safety training. |
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Description:
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Earlier studies of large animal (cow and sheep) lymphatic vessels demonstrated the critical role of lymphatic system in interstitial fluid balance as well as transport of fats and immune cells. Recent studies using small animal lymphatic models suggest that lymphatic molecular makeup and signaling pathways, and therefore the lymphatic responses to similar stimuli may significantly differ between species. Furthermore, these lymphatic models may also significantly differ from human lymphatics. Although, porcine cardiovascular models have been considered to closely mimic human cardiovascular responses, porcine lymphatic vessels have yet to be studied thoroughly. Therefore, the goal of our project is to characterize functional and biomechanical responses of porcine mesenteric lymphatic vessels. |