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Tejvir
S. Khurana, MD, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept of Physiology & Pennsylvania Muscle Institute
Cell
Biology and Physiology Program
Address
A-601 Richards Building
3700 Hamilton Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office tel.: 215 573-2640
Lab tel: 215 573-2640
Fax: 215 573-5851
E-mail: tsk@mail.med.upenn.edu
Link(s)
Dr.
Khurana's Physiology Page
Dr.
Khurana's PMI Page
EDUCATION
Delhi University: MBBS (Medicine), 1985.
Harvard University: Ph.D. (Neurobiology), 1992.
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RESEARCH
INTERESTS
- Cellular and Molecular basis of Muscle Functioning &
the Development of Therapies for the Muscular Dystrophies
Key
words: Muscular Dystrophy; Therapy;
Muscle; Synapses; Neuromuscular Junctions; Calcium; Imaging;
Growth; Strength; Myostatin; Utrophin; Extraocular ; Hypoxia;
Altitude; Oxygen; Athletics; Doping .
Search PubMed for articles
DESCRIPTION
OF RESEARCH
We use a combination of cellular, physiological, structural
and molecular genetic approaches to understand the basic biology
of muscle and develop therapies for the muscular dystrophies.
Topics being studied include 1) cellular and physiological
basis of unique muscle functioning (e.g. extraocular muscle),
2) formation of specializations such as neuromuscular synapses
or junctions and NMJ-specific regulation of utrophin and 3)
control of muscle size/function by growth factors (e.g. myostatin)
and environmental factors (e.g. hypoxia).
Utrophin is the autosomal homolog of the DMD locus and
selectively enriched at NMJs. We study cellular signaling
and molecular mechanisms controlling utrophin's synapse-specific
transcriptional regulation and address its role at this important
cellular specialization.
It is an intriguing conundrum why extraocular muscles are
spared in muscular dystrophy. We study intracellular calcium
homeostasis, molecular makeup, subcellular structural organization
and stem cell potential of these muscles in order to understand
their unique physiology and address the enigmatic sparing
in muscular dystrophy.
How muscle size & strength are controlled are important
biological questions. We study the role of hypoxia and myostatin
in controlling muscle mass & strength as well as developing
them as strategies to treat muscle wasting diseases. We are
also developing tests to detect & prevent doping by elite
athletes using these strategies.
We use anatomical, biochemical, imaging and functional measurements
to evaluate physiological benefits in the variety of translation
studies undertaken by the laboratory.
RECENT
PUBLICATIONS
Wiesen MHJ, Bogdanovich S, Agarkova I, Perriard J-C & Khurana
TS (2007) Identification and characterization of layer-specific
differences in extraocular muscle M-bands Invest. Opthal.
Vis. Sci. 48, 119-1127.
Krag TOB, Bogdanovich S, Jensen CJ, Fischer MD, Hansen-Schwartz
J, Javazon EH, Flake AW, Edvinsson L & Khurana TS
(2004) Heregulin ameliorates the dystrophic phenotype in mdx
mice. Proc Natl. Acad. Sci. . 101, 13856-13860
Khurana TS & Davies KE (2003). Pharmacological Strategies for Muscular
Dystrophy.[Review]. Nature Rev. Drug Discov.. 2, 379-390.
Bogdanovich S, Krag TO, Barton ER, Morris LD, Whittemore LA,
Ahima RS, Khurana TS (2002) Functional improvement of
dystrophic muscle by myostatin blockade. Nature . 420, 418-420
Lab
ROTATION
PROJECTS FOR 2006-2007
Identify novel regulators of the utrophin A & B promoters
Characterize post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of the utrophin gene
Characterize committed stem cells in single extraocular muscle fibers.
Develop tests for detection of myostatin doping by athletes
Characterize the transcriptome of muscle at high altitude
Develop markers for sensing tissue oxygen utilization
- Lab
personnel:
- Post Doctoral:
Sasha Bogdanovich, MD
Eugenia C. Pacheco-Pinedo, MD
Santhosh M. Baby, PhD
Utpal Basu, PhD
Matias Mosqueira, PhD
Technicians:
Ulrike Zeiger, MSc
Olga Lozynska, MS
Students:
Gabriel Willmann
Louise Helskov Jørgensen, MSc (Visiting)
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last updated 3/2007
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