Research
My research group focuses on the molecular mechanisms which regulate vascular function in settings of disease. We are particularly interested in microvascular complications associated with diabetes (e.g. retinopathy), tumour metastasis, and pulmonary disease (e.g. acute respiratory distress syndrome) linked to vascular barrier disruption (permeability and hemorrhage) and aberrant angiogenic processes. We focus on novel signalling mechanisms in the endothelium linked to endosomal adaptor proteins (p18/LAMTOR1), endothelial-derived microparticles, and GPCR taste sensing receptors. We are also using this information to develop therapeutic agents and currently have an international patent based on these studies.
Publications
Chichger H, Rounds S, Harrington EO. Endosomes and Autophagy: Regulators of Pulmonary Endothelial Cell Homeostasis in Health and Disease. Antioxidants & Redox Signalling. 2019 Jul 31.
Lizunkova P, Enuwosa E, Chichger H. Activation of the sweet taste receptor T1R3 by sucralose attenuates VEGF-induced vasculogenesis in a cell model of the retinal microvascular endothelium. Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. 2019 Jan;257(1):71-81.
Harrington EO, Vang A, Braza J, Shil A, Chichger H. Activation of the sweet taste receptor, T1R3, by the artificial sweetener sucralose regulates the pulmonary endothelium. American Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. (2018) 314 (1):L165-176
Vang A, Clements RT, Chichger H, Kue N, Allawzi A, O’Connell K, Jeong EM, Dudley SC Jr, Sakhatskyy P, Lu Q, Zhang P, Rounds S, Choudhary G. Effect of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activation on cardiac fibroblasts: A mechanism underlying RV fibrosis associated with cigarette smoke exposure. American Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. (2017) 312 (5):L748-L759.
Chichger H, Cleasby M, Srai KS, Debnam ES, Unwin R.J, Marks J. Differential regulation of renal glucose transporters: Implications for diabetic nephropathy. Experimental Physiology. (2016) 101 (6):731-42.
Chichger H, Braza J, Duong H, Boni G, Harrington EO. Select Rab GTPases regulate the pulmonary endothelium via endosomal trafficking of VE-cadherin. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. (2016) 54 (6):739-81.
Chichger H, Braza J, Duong H, Stark M, Harrington EO. Vasculogenesis in the pulmonary endothelium dysregulated by the endosome: Rab4-mediated trafficking and p18-dependent signaling. American Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. (2015) 309 (7):L700.
