Scholar Profiles
Derek Espino
2004-2005 University Scholar
Mentor: Keith Ozaki
College of Medicine
“The University Scholars Program provides me with the unique opportunity to conduct an entire study on my chosen topic. The program gives me the chance to formulate my own educated hypotheses, design explicit methods to test these hypotheses, and make conclusions based on the data I collect. As a whole, the USP offers me the best opportunity to critically think on my own and to obtain first-hand experience with the scientific methods of research.”
Derek is a junior majoring in both microbiology and zoology, with a minor in chemistry. He is pursuing a pre-medicine track, so his academic interests center around the life sciences. He has been inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and is a member of the Pre-professional Service Organization. Derek also volunteers in a vascular surgery research lab and received a 2004 Lifeline Research Fellowship Award. His hobbies include playing the guitar, soccer, snowboarding and hockey.
Research Description:
The Effect of IL-10 On Neointimal Hyperplasia
Neointimal hyperplasia (scaring that blocks the lumen of a vessel) primarily causes the failure of surgical vein bypass grafts, particularly in areas of low wall shear within the lumen. Recent research in my mentor’s lab shows that these surgical bypasses mainly fail due to pro-inflammatory cytokine-mediated inflammation within the graft. In settings of low flow, TNF expression increases 200 fold within 24 hours of bypass placement, followed by the substantial development of intimal hyperplasia. On the other hand, vein grafts that have minimal to no neointimal hyperplasia in the wall are associated with high levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (which is known to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF). However, the overall mechanism for the expression of cytokines in vein grafts remains a mystery. Additionally, while IL-10 is associated with protective effects, it is unknown if IL-10 actually impacts vein graft wall intimal hyperplasia. I hypothesize that IL-10 protects vein grafts from intimal hyperplasia. I aim to find the potential for inhibiting intimal hyperplasia in low flow grafts through the introduction of exogenous IL-10. Twelve rabbits will receive carotid vein grafts with unilateral distal branch ligation to decrease the blood flow within the graft. Immediately after the bypass placements, six of the rabbits will receive commercially available recombinant human IL-10 (150 g SC qd x 28d) and the other six will receive a saline vehicle as a control. After 28 days, the rabbits will be harvested and specimens will be gathered and prepared on slides. I will analyze the slides utilizing the computer software and microscopes in the lab, measuring the neointimal thickness of the vessels. I will then employ unpaired T tests to compare the data from the control and experimental groups. To reject the null hypothesis, there needs to be a 25% or more decrease of neointimal thickness, which would support the idea that IL-10 does significantly decrease intimal hyperplasia in bypass vein grafts. If the mean difference is less than 25%, then I will fail to reject the null hypothesis and IL-10 does not significantly decrease intimal hyperplasia.
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