Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 1, No. 1, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

The Center for Environmental Research and Coastal Oceans Monitoring (CERCOM) is a scientific coastal research center and field station dedicated to exploring our global coastal environments and near-shore oceans. CERCOM is the field station support facility for all sciences at Molloy College and services the degree programs of Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Studies, with special attention to a B.S. degree in Earth and Environmental Studies. Located at the West Sayville Boat Basin on the Great South Bay, CERCOM is a 2,500 sq. ft. field station estuarine/ marine science laboratory where environmental monitoring and analysis is conducted 365 days a year.

Vascular Tissue-Resident Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Friend Or Foe?, Jodi F. Evans Ph.D., Heather Renna, Lauren Mchugh, Eddie Bochynski, Victoria Flemm

Faculty Works: Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Studies

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are ideal candidates for stem cell-based therapies of vascular inflammation. They are progenitor cells that can replace damaged cells and they can modulate immune response cells. MSC from bone marrow and adipose tissue regulate inflammation by promoting the switch of macrophage cell from an inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Much less is known about the tissue resident MSC’s and their interaction with macrophage cells. We hypothesized that aortaderived mesenchymal stem cells (mAo MSC) would also promote the expression of the antiinflammatory phenotype among macrophage cells. The interaction of mAo MSC with the macrophage was examined by …

Acth Enhances Lipid Accumulation In Bone-Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Undergoing Adipogenesis, Jodi F. Evans Ph.D., Thomas Rhodes, Michelle Pazienza

Faculty Works: Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Studies

ACTH is a major hormone of the stress axis or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. It is derived from pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) the precursor to the melanocortin family of peptides. POMC produces the biologically active melanocortin peptides via a series of enzymatic steps in a tissue-specific manner, yielding the melanocyte-stimulating hormones (MSHs), corticotrophin (ACTH) and β-endorphin. The melanocortin system plays an imperative role in energy expenditure, insulin release and insulin sensitivity. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells circulate in the blood stream and as progenitor cells have the potential to differentiate into many cell types such as osteoblasts, chondrocytes and adipocytes. Here we …

Mouse Aorta-Derived Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells Contribute To And Enhance The Immune Response Of Macrophage Cells Under Inflammatory Conditions, Jodi F. Evans Ph.D., Veronica Salvador, Sheela George, Cristina Trevino-Gutierrez, Catherine Nunez

Faculty Works: Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Studies

Abstract

Introduction: Mesenchymal progenitor cells interact with immune cells and modulate inflammatory responses. The cellular characteristics required for this modulation are under fervent investigation. Upon interaction with macrophage cells, they can contribute to or suppress an inflammatory response. Current studies have focused on mesenchymal progenitors derived from bone marrow, adipose, and placenta. However, the arterial wall contains many mesenchymal progenitor cells, which during vascular disease progression have the potential to interact with macrophage cells. To examine the consequence of vascular-tissue progenitor cell-macrophage cell interactions in an inflammatory environment, we used a recently established mesenchymal progenitor cell line derived from the …