Prof. Ehrlicher receives prestigious CIHR Project Grant
The Department of Bioengineering would like to congratulate Professor Allen Ehrlicher for his recent CIHR Project Grant. Professor Ehrlicher's project aims to explore how mechanical forces, such as compression of the nucleus, affect cellular aging and stem cell differentiation, particularly in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS). In HGPS, accelerated aging and organ defects occur, including impaired fat tissue differentiation. Researchers found that nucleus compression activates Yes Associated Protein (YAP), which slows aging and promotes bone formation from stem cells. The hypothesis is that stiffer HGPS nuclei are less likely to be compressed, leading to aging and disrupted differentiation. The study will investigate how mechanical changes in the nucleus affect these processes in healthy and HGPS cells, with the goal of identifying therapeutic targets for aging and stem cell diseases.
Read more . (Feb 2025)