Mean Ghim, PhD
Associate Research ScientistCards
About
Research
Publications
2023
Multimodality Imaging of Aortic Valve Calcification and Function in a Murine Model of Calcific Aortic Valve Disease and Bicuspid Aortic Valve
Ahmad A, Ghim M, Toczek J, Neishabouri A, Ojha D, Zhang Z, Gona K, Raza M, Jung J, Kukreja G, Zhang J, Guerrera N, Liu C, Sadeghi M. Multimodality Imaging of Aortic Valve Calcification and Function in a Murine Model of Calcific Aortic Valve Disease and Bicuspid Aortic Valve. Journal Of Nuclear Medicine 2023, 64: 1487-1494. PMID: 37321825, PMCID: PMC10478817, DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.123.265516.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsF-NaF PET/CTCalcific aortic valve diseaseBicuspid aortic valvePET/CTAortic valve calcificationAortic valve diseaseAortic valveAortic stenosisValve calcificationValvular calcificationValve diseaseF-NaFSubset of miceTricuspid aortic valveDevelopment of calcificationSignificant correlationUnderwent echocardiographyMedical therapyHigh prevalencePreclinical modelsMurine modelTherapeutic interventionsAge groupsAutoradiography dataMultimodality imagingDisturbed flow increases endothelial inflammation and permeability via a Frizzled-4-β-catenin-dependent pathway
Rickman M, Ghim M, Pang K, von Huelsen Rocha A, Drudi E, Sureda-Vives M, Ayoub N, Tajadura-Ortega V, George S, Weinberg P, Warboys C. Disturbed flow increases endothelial inflammation and permeability via a Frizzled-4-β-catenin-dependent pathway. Journal Of Cell Science 2023, 136: jcs260449. PMID: 36846872, PMCID: PMC10112981, DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260449.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEndothelial dysfunctionEndothelial cellsFrizzled-4Β-cateninCultured human aortic endothelial cellsR-spondinsHuman aortic endothelial cellsPro-inflammatory genesEndothelial paracellular permeabilityDisturbed flowAortic endothelial cellsCultured endothelial cellsRole of WntEndothelial inflammationAortic archEarly atherogenesisCanonical Wnt pathwayDysfunctionReduced expressionWnt5a signalingParacellular permeabilityWnt pathwayInhibitionKnockdownExpressionHomeostatic, Non-Canonical Role of Macrophage Elastase in Vascular Integrity
Salarian M, Ghim M, Toczek J, Han J, Weiss D, Spronck B, Ramachandra A, Jung J, Kukreja G, Zhang J, Lakheram D, Kim S, Humphrey J, Sadeghi M. Homeostatic, Non-Canonical Role of Macrophage Elastase in Vascular Integrity. Circulation Research 2023, 132: 432-448. PMID: 36691905, PMCID: PMC9930896, DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.122.322096.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMMP-12 deficiencyAdverse aortic remodelingAbdominal aortic aneurysmAng IIAortic remodelingAortic aneurysmMMP-12Complement component 3 levelsNeutrophil extracellular traps markersAbdominal aortic aneurysm ruptureAortic aneurysm ruptureElastic lamina degradationPlasma complement componentsAortic ruptureC3 levelsComplement depositionPlasma C5aMore neutrophilsVascular remodelingAneurysm ruptureNeutrophil elastaseAortic integrityMatrix metalloproteinaseComplement inhibitorsNETosis pathwayPositron Emission Tomography Imaging of Vessel Wall Matrix Metalloproteinase Activity in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Toczek J, Gona K, Liu Y, Ahmad A, Ghim M, Ojha D, Kukreja G, Salarian M, Luehmann H, Heo G, Guzman R, Chaar C, Tellides G, Hassab A, Ye Y, Shoghi K, Zayed M, Gropler R, Sadeghi M. Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Vessel Wall Matrix Metalloproteinase Activity in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. Circulation Cardiovascular Imaging 2023, 16: e014615. PMID: 36649454, PMCID: PMC9858355, DOI: 10.1161/circimaging.122.014615.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAbdominal aortic aneurysmHuman aortic tissueMMP activityAortic tissueAortic aneurysmMMP inhibitorsMurine modelMatrix metalloproteinasesPositron emission tomography/Toxicology studiesAortic MMP activityPositron emission tomography radioligandAngiotensin II infusionEmission tomography/Murine abdominal aortic aneurysmsBroad-spectrum MMP inhibitorMatrix metalloproteinase activityPositron emission tomography (PET) tracerPositron emission tomography (PET) imagingEmission Tomography ImagingPositron emission tomographyEmission tomography tracerII infusionRisk stratificationTomography/
2022
Shear-mediated ALK5 expression regulates endothelial activation
Pang K, Ghim M, Sarathchandra P, Warboys C, Yacoub M, Chester A, Weinberg P. Shear-mediated ALK5 expression regulates endothelial activation. Biochemical And Biophysical Research Communications 2022, 642: 90-96. PMID: 36566567, DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.12.058.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBlood flowCalcific aortic valve diseaseAortic valve diseaseHuman umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayersEndothelial-leukocyte adhesionALK5 kinase activityCardiovascular disease pathologyPotential therapeutic targetAortic valve tissueEndothelial dysfunctionValve diseaseALK5 expressionEndothelial activationFurther mechanistic investigationsEndothelial cell monolayersPorcine aortic valve tissuePathophysiological changesOvert diseaseAortic sidePathological changesTherapeutic targetVentricular sideLeukocyte adhesionMonocyte adhesionSmad2 phosphorylationNO Synthesis but Not Apoptosis, Mitosis or Inflammation Can Explain Correlations between Flow Directionality and Paracellular Permeability of Cultured Endothelium
Ghim M, Yang S, David K, Eustaquio J, Warboys C, Weinberg P. NO Synthesis but Not Apoptosis, Mitosis or Inflammation Can Explain Correlations between Flow Directionality and Paracellular Permeability of Cultured Endothelium. International Journal Of Molecular Sciences 2022, 23: 8076. PMID: 35897652, PMCID: PMC9332325, DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158076.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDifferential BMP Signaling Mediates the Interplay Between Genetics and Leaflet Numbers in Aortic Valve Calcification
Jung JJ, Ahmad AA, Rajendran S, Wei L, Zhang J, Toczek J, Nie L, Kukreja G, Salarian M, Gona K, Ghim M, Chakraborty R, Martin KA, Tellides G, Heistad D, Sadeghi MM. Differential BMP Signaling Mediates the Interplay Between Genetics and Leaflet Numbers in Aortic Valve Calcification. JACC Basic To Translational Science 2022, 7: 333-345. PMID: 35540096, PMCID: PMC9079798, DOI: 10.1016/j.jacbts.2021.12.006.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBicuspid aortic valveCalcific aortic valve diseaseAortic valve calcificationValve calcificationHuman Calcific Aortic Valve DiseaseAortic valve diseaseValve diseaseAortic valveCAVD progressionTherapeutic targetBone morphogenic proteinMorphogenic proteinMiceCalcificationDCBLD2StenosisExpressionLittermatesDiseaseBMP signalingProgression
2021
Endothelial cells exposed to atheroprotective flow secrete follistatin-like 1 protein which reduces transcytosis and inflammation
Ghim M, Pang K, Burnap S, Baig F, Yin X, Arshad M, Mayr M, Weinberg P. Endothelial cells exposed to atheroprotective flow secrete follistatin-like 1 protein which reduces transcytosis and inflammation. Atherosclerosis 2021, 333: 56-66. PMID: 34425528, PMCID: PMC8459397, DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2021.08.025.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLeucine-Rich α-2-Glycoprotein 1 Suppresses Endothelial Cell Activation Through ADAM10-Mediated Shedding of TNF-α Receptor
Pang K, Ghim M, Liu C, Tay H, Fhu C, Chia R, Qiu B, Sarathchandra P, Chester A, Yacoub M, Wilkinson F, Weston R, Warboys C, Hou H, Weinberg P, Wang X. Leucine-Rich α-2-Glycoprotein 1 Suppresses Endothelial Cell Activation Through ADAM10-Mediated Shedding of TNF-α Receptor. Frontiers In Cell And Developmental Biology 2021, 9: 706143. PMID: 34291056, PMCID: PMC8288075, DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.706143.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTumor necrosis factor receptor 1Critical limb ischemiaSera of patientsEndothelial activationEndothelial cellsLRG1 expressionElevated serum concentrationsPotential therapeutic roleLeucine-Rich αTumor necrosis factorTNF-α receptorWild-type miceEndothelial cell activationNecrosis factor receptor 1Role of LRG1NF-κB activationNF-κB signalingFactor receptor 1STNFR1 concentrationCLI patientsLimb ischemiaSerum concentrationsHealthy controlsInflammatory diseasesTherapeutic roleSegmenting Growth of Endothelial Cells in 6-Well Plates on an Orbital Shaker for Mechanobiological Studies
Pang K, Ghim M, Arshad M, Wang X, Weinberg P. Segmenting Growth of Endothelial Cells in 6-Well Plates on an Orbital Shaker for Mechanobiological Studies. Journal Of Visualized Experiments 2021 DOI: 10.3791/61817-v.Peer-Reviewed Original Research