Dr Leonid Nikitenko L.Nikitenko@hull.ac.uk
Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences
Development of fully humanised animal free models to study the role of endothelial cells in chronic diseases.
People Involved
Professor John Greenman J.Greenman@hull.ac.uk
Professor of Tumour Immunology
Project Description
Endothelial cells play important roles within the human body. They line blood and lymphatic vessels and regulate the work of cardiovascular and lymphatic systems. The faulty function of endothelial cells often contributes to the development of life-threatening conditions and chronic disorders such as cancer, migraine, lymphoedema and cardiovascular disease. In our previous studies for the past ten years, we have focused on using cultured human endothelial cells and two- and three-dimensional in vitro, rather than animal/in vivo, models and made several important discoveries (Nikitenko et al., 2000, 2003, 2006a, 2006b, 2013; Sacilotto et al., 2016). We now aim to take next step towards the development of fully humanised animal-free models to study the role of endothelial cells in chronic diseases. The project will uncover vital information about whether the replacement of the foetal calf serum with human serum (or serum-free supplement that is currently used for stem cells) would affect the properties of the human endothelial cells, including their function and the expression of genes which are specific for these cells. The unique aspects of this study is the use of endothelial cells obtained from human vessels instead of the animal models widely used by other researchers in the field and complete replacement of animal products in culture medium. The development of such fully humanised animal free models to study the role of endothelial cells will contribute to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, improving the health and wellbeing of millions of people worldwide.
| Project Acronym | Animal Free Research Studentship |
|---|---|
| Status | Project Complete |
| Value | £1,932.00 |
| Project Dates | Jul 2, 2018 - Aug 28, 2018 |
| Partner Organisations | No Partners |
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