Research conducted at the UW School of Engineering is poised to make significant contributions to the field of biomechanics and improve human health outcomes in the process.
Researchers in the UW School of Engineering's School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering have investigated the effects of aging-related physicochemical changes on the structure and function of elastin, a key protein that provides elasticity and recoil function to many connective tissues. We pursue groundbreaking research to understand the Tissues of the human body, including within elastic arteries. These modifications play important roles in age-related diseases such as diabetes, motivating the importance of studying elastin behavior in aging arteries.
The project, led by Dr. Anna Tarakanova, has been awarded a $3 million R01 grant through 2028 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to further investigate elastin and its role in arterial biomechanics in health and aging. did. This study utilizes a pioneering multiscale approach to integrate advanced computational modeling and experimental studies to elucidate the complex process of elastin degradation from the submolecular to the tissue scale. In doing so, the research team aims to gain important insights into the mechanisms underlying arteriosclerosis and other changes to vascular biomechanics that occur with aging and disease.
Dr. Katherine Young-Han Chan, professor of mechanical engineering at Boston University, is a co-investigator on this project.
“This collaborative project has the potential to transform our fundamental understanding of the molecular-scale processes that underlie age-related mechanical changes in arteries and contribute to the most prevalent age-related diseases.” Tarakanova said.
This innovative framework not only advances our understanding of arterial biomechanics from the smallest scales, but also has the potential to develop preventive and reparative interventions for many age-related vascular diseases. Research conducted at the UW School of Engineering is poised to make significant contributions to the field of biomechanics and improve human health outcomes in the process.
