Presenting on “Mechanical Forces and Endothelial Cell Glycocalyx: Protectors of Blood Vessel Integrity”.

Eno E. Ebong, PhD, Associate Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering at Northwestern University, will speak on Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 10:00 am in Whitaker 218.

Abstract: The Ebong research laboratory investigates how mechanical forces influence endothelial cells, which line the blood vessels and protect them from diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer metastasis. A primary focus is on studying the structure and function of the endothelial cell glycocalyx, which acts as a node that receives signals from the extracellular environment and transmits them into the endothelial cells. The endothelial cell glycocalyx has a gel-like structure, composed of sugar molecules and proteins. One of its primary functions is to convert mechanical forces from the surrounding environment into biochemical responses within the endothelial cells, helping to protect blood vessels from endothelial cell-dependent diseases. In this way, the glycocalyx provides fragile blood vessels with the resilience needed to withstand the mechanical forces exerted within and upon them. Unfortunately, the glycocalyx sheds in the presence of disease, particularly at blood vessel branch points, where fluid dynamics are unsteady and commonly co-localized with atherosclerotic plaques. Recent findings also suggest that excessive tissue stiffness adversely affects the glycocalyx. As a result, it is of significant interest to study how gradual degradation or unfavorable changes in the glycocalyx initiate or promote pathological processes that lead to the formation of atherosclerotic lesions or secondary cancers. The Ebong laboratory creates experimental systems that combine fluids, mechanically tunable substrates, and mammalian endothelial cells to replicate both healthy and disruptive mechanobiological conditions. This approach uncovers the complexities of the relationship between mechanical forces, the glycocalyx, and endothelial cells. These findings are further validated by live animal studies, which assess how the results translate to real disease conditions. The long-term goal is to apply insights from mechanobiology, endothelial cell function, and glycocalyx structure to develop clinically relevant therapies that can reverse disease progression.

Registration to attend virtually is required. Please register.