Kailash Pandey, PhD, School of Medicine
The primary goal of our research is to determine the genetic and molecular basis of hypertension and cardiovascular disorders in age- and sex-dependent manner. The long-term objectives of our research projects are to determine the molecular and cellular action of atrial and brain natriuretic peptides (ANP, BNP) that control blood pressure and cardiovascular homeostasis. Our research has focused on the regulatory action of ANP and BNP that is mediated by interacting with guanylyl cyclase/ natriuretic peptide receptor-A (GC-A/NPRA) which synthesizes the intracellular second messenger cGMP and plays a central role in the pathophysiology of hypertension and cardiovascular disorders. We hope to learn the structural components of the receptor that might be critical for the hormone-dependent signaling process in model cell lines and Npr1 (coding for GC-A/NPRA) gene-targeted (gene-knockout and gene-duplication) mutant mice both globally and in the cell-specific manner in vivo. Our studies are also aimed to test directly the efficacy of Npr1 transcriptional regulatory elements, and the impact of Npr1 gene dosage and null mutation in the regulation of blood pressure and cardiovascular disorders at the molecular level.
kpandey@tulane.edu
