Department of Biomedical Engineering (ND20)
Lerner Research Institute
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio 44195
Tel: (216) 444-5857
Fax: (216) 444-9198

Suneel S. Apte, M.B.B.S., D.Phil. | Profile | Publications

Suneel S. Apte, M.B.B.S., D.Phil.

Suneel S. Apte, M.B.B.S., D.Phil.

Staff

Department of Biomedical Engineering / ND-20
Lerner Research Institute
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44195
Telephone: (216) 445-3278
Fax: (216) 444-9198

Area of General Research Interest:

Developmental biology of extracellular proteases, extracellular matrix, arthritis, ADAMTS proteases, versican, fibrillins, musculoskeletal biology, cardiovascular biology.

Current Program:

  • ADAMTS proteases in limb, craniofacial, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular development
  • Mechanisms of cartilage destruction in arthritis
  • Molecular mechanisms of inherited connective tissue and eye disorders
  • Proteolysis of versican
  • Fibrillin-1 networks and cellular regulation

Personnel:

  • Hannah Bader, PhD ( Research Fellow )
  • Noriko Hattori, MD, PhD (Research Fellow)
  • Luis Gabriel, MD (Research Fellow)
  • Lauren W. Wang, MS (Lead Research Technologist)
  • Courtney Nelson, BS (Research Technician)
  • Shweta Singh, BS (Research Technician)
  • James Wylie, MS (Medical Student)
  • Jason Ho, MS (Medical Student)

The laboratory has an opening for a post-doctoral fellow with a career interest and background in extracellular matrix, proteases, cell biology or developmental biology. Please send applications, a curriculum vitae and the names and contact information (telephone and email) of three references to: aptes@ccf.org

Collaborators:

  • Christine B. Kern, Medical University of South Carolina, SC
  • Robert Haltiwanger, Stony Brook University, NY

Project descriptions :

  • Proteoglycan turnover by ADAMTS proteases and its biological implications:  Several ADAMTS proteases cleave the core proteins of aggrecan and versican and are relevant to musculoskeletal and cardiovascular disease. This project investigates versican and aggrecan turnover in musculoskeletal, craniofacial and cardiovascular phenotypes of ADAMTS deficient mice, and the mechanisms of versican turnover by ADAMTS proteases. The project utilizes single and combinatorial mouse mutants, conditional gene targeting in mice, biochemistry and cell biology techniques.
  • ADAMTS molecules, fibrillin-1 networks and cell regulation: Several ADAMTS family members, e.g., ADAMTS10, ADAMTS17, ADAMTSL4, and ADAMTSL2, are mutated in disorders associated with fibrillin-1, a critical component of an extracellular network that regulates TGF-beta. These human and animal mutations have highlighted the potential role of ADAMTS proteins in fibrillin-rich tissues such as the zonule of the eye, and in regulating skeletal growth and skin/organ fibrosis. The project utilizes single and combinatorial mouse mutants, protein chemistry, intermolecular interaction assays and cell biology techniques to investigate important questions in this area.

Funding for our research is currently provided by the National Institutes of Health and the National Marfan Foundation.