Pathogenesis of renal fibrosis

Description of projects available to graduate students:
Studies in Dr. Liu's laboratory are focused on dissecting the cellular and molecular pathways leading to chronic renal fibrosis, and exploring novel strategies for therapeutic interventions. Using a series of experimental approaches, we are addressing several fundamental issues in renal fibrosis, such as what types of cells produce a large amount of matrix proteins under pathologic conditions and how they are regulated. Current studies in our laboratory include: 1) to decipher the mechanism controlling the regulation of tubular epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in renal fibrogenesis; 2) to unravel the interactions and cross-talks of the intracellular signal pathways activated by anti-fibrotic hepatocyte growth factor and pro-fibrotic transforming growth factor-beta in kidney cells; 3) to develop novel therapeutic strategies aimed at ameliorating renal fibrosis and kidney dysfunction.

Techniques graduate student will learn:
Students will have opportunities to learn a variety of techniques in molecular and cellular biology, as well as in animal models of renal diseases. Routine techniques used in our laboratory includes: cell culture, transient and stable transfection, gene cloning, and subcloning, site-direct mutagenesis, reporter gene assay, DNA-protein interaction assay, Southern and Northern blots, ELISA, immunoprecipitation, Western blot, immunofluorescence, gene delivery in vivo, etc.