University of Nevada, Reno
Karen Hannigan PhD. University of Nevada, Reno.
The study of smooth muscle biology through a multidisciplinary approach has been the main focus of my career for around 10 years. My PhD studies in Dundalk Institute of Technology focused on the regulation of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle (CCSM) by novel ion channel modulators. During this project I deployed multiple techniques (patch clamp, isometric tension recording and spinning disc confocal imaging) in order to characterize ionic currents, contractility and intracellular Ca2+ activity in CCSM with the aim of identifying novel targets for the treatment of erectile dysfunction which bypass the NO/cGMP pathway. This pathway has been shown to be impaired in patients who do not respond to traditional treatment of ED with phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors. During this study it was demonstrated that large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channels and Ca2+-activated Cl- (CaCl) channels play an important role in the regulation of CCSM activity and are potential pharmacological targets to improve the treatment of ED in patients that do not respond to PDE-5 inhibitors. In my current position at the University of Nevada, Reno I have taken an optogenetic approach in order to study the intracellular Ca2+ activity in ICC and smooth muscle cells within gastrointestinal sphincters. This work has led to the identification of two distinct populations of ICC present in the IAS and LES with different intracellular Ca2+ activity profiles. Under the guidance of Dr’s Caroline Cobine and Sang Don Koh, I have received a grant from the American Urological Association, sponsored by the Sexual Medicine Society of North America. This grant aims to characterize platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRa) positive cells in the CC and to determine if these cells could play a role in the regulation of erectile function.
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Saturday, April 29, 2023
7:00 AM – 9:00 AM CST