Networking & Grants
Romanian-Swiss Research Programme: Effects of Sex Steroids on Adult Stem/Progentior Cell-Mediated Cardiovascular Regeneration. Grant Agreement between the Romanian and Swiss Beneficiaries, Prof. Dr. Raghvendra K. Dubey (Swiss Beneficiary), Prof. Maya Simionescu (Legal representative of the Romanian Host Institution) (2013-2016).
Swiss-Romanian bilateral cooperation project. Project obtained by Dr. Marilena Plesu (Lupu) as Principal Investigator, and transferred/currently coordinated by Acad. Dr. Maya Simionescu; Funding source: Swiss National Science Foundation/National Authority for Scientific Research.
Objectives: to assess the influence of sex steroids, estradiol and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on regenerative potential of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), using murine cardiac slices; to assess and compare the effects of estradiol and DHT on: (a) the proliferative potential of EPCs and MSCs and (b) the vascular tube-like structures formation by EPCs; to investigate the role of distinct molecular mechanisms in mediating: (a) the proliferation capacity of EPCs and MSCs and (b) the angiogenic/capillary stimulating effects of estradiol and DHT; to investigate the influence of estradiol and DHT on adhesion of EPCs and MSCs to monolayers of arterial endothelium and cardiac fibroblasts, under dynamic (flow) conditions; to screen the modulatory effects of estradiol and DHT on early and late genes associated with tissue regeneration in EPCs and MNCs (angiogenesis / growth / adhesion).
