Welcome to the Butcher Lab! We identify principals regulating embryonic valvular development and use the findings to motivate regenerative engineering strategies for heart and valve disease.
Welcome to the Butcher Lab
Our Main Areas of Research
Thrust 1: Biomechanical Regulation of Valvulogenesis
Heart valves initiate as specific regions of endocardium within the atrioventricular canal and outflow tract of the heart tube that undergo an endocardial to mesenchymal transformation (EMT), formi
Thrust 2: Endothelial-Interstitial Cell Interactions in Valve Homeostasis and Disease
The only treatment for heart valve disease is prosthetic valve replacement.
Thrust 3: Heart Valve Regeneration and Tissue Engineering
The prosthetic valves available to treat heart valve disease are poorly suited for younger and more active patients.
Recent News
01/10/2017
Latest Publications
Matrix stiffening promotes a tumor vasculature phenotype.
Bordeleau F, Mason BN, Lollis EM, Mazzola M, Zanotelli MR, Somasegar S, Califano JP, Montague C, LaValley DJ, Huynh J, Mencia-Trinchant N, Negrón Abril YL, Hassane DC, Bonassar LJ, Butcher JT, Weiss RS, Reinhart-King CA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Dec 29. pii: 201613855. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1613855114. [Epub ahead of print], PMID: 28034921
Population Heterogeneity in the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Is Controlled by NFAT and Phosphorylated Sp1.
Gould R, Bassen DM, Chakrabarti A, Varner JD, Butcher JT.
PLoS Comput Biol. 2016 Dec 27;12(12):e1005251. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005251. PMID: 28027307