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University of Wisconsin Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center

The Bresnick Laboratory

Faculty > Emery H. Bresnick

Emery Bresnick
Emery Bresnick

Emery H. Bresnick
Professor, Pharmacology, Medicine (Affiliate)
ehbresni@wisc.edu

Bresnick Laboratory Home Page

Organ System/Disease Focus
Hematology and vascular biology

Aligned Research Focus
Basic stem cell science; hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells

Research Description
We use multidisciplinary approaches to understand stem/progenitor cell function, blood cell development, and vascular biology. Such approaches include genomics, proteomics, chemical genetics, embryonic stem cell differentiation, computational analysis, and traditional methodologies.

In addition to elucidating biological principles, we aim to develop innovative therapeutic strategies based on targeting novel mechanisms.

Projects relevant to stem cell biology/regenerative medicine include:

  1. Mechanisms of hematopoiesis:
    Defining such mechanisms has enormous importance, as deviations from hematopoietic programs yield leukemias, lymphomas and additional blood disorders. We are analyzing the function/regulation of GATA factors that control hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and hematopoiesis. Transcriptional profiling and ChIPchip analysis have identified a cohort of novel GATA factor target genes, including genes encoding proteins that bear no obvious similarity to known proteins. Loss-of-function and gain-of-function studies are being conducted in mice, zebrafish, and embryonic stem cells engineered to conditionally express GATA-2 to elucidate GATA factor networks in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells.
  2. Novel angiogenic mechanisms and vascular engineering:
    Based on our discovery of an endogenous suppressor of angiogenesis, we are exploiting fundamental knowledge on angiogenic mechanisms to develop efficient approaches to promote the vascularization of engineered tissues.

Selected References

Pal S, Wu J, Murray JK, Gellman SH, Wozniak MA, Keely PJ, Boyer ME, Gomez TM, Hasso SM, Fallon JF, Bresnick EH. An antiangiogenic neurokinin-B-thromboxane A2 regulatory axis. J. Cell. Biol. 174:1047-1058. 2006.

Grass JA, Kim S-I, Huie J, Pal S, Blobel GA, Bresnick EH. Distinct functions of dispersed GATA factor complexes at an endogenous gene locus. Mol. Cell. Biol. 26:7056-7067. 2006.

Johnson KD, Kim S-I , Bresnick EH. Differential sensitivities of GATA-1 target genes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103:15939-15944. 2006.

Lugus J, Grass JA, Kim S-I, Bresnick EH, Choi EH. GATA-2 functions at multiple steps during hemangioblast development and differentiation. Development 134:393-405. 2007.

Wozniak RJ, Boyer ME, Grass JA, Lee Y-S, Bresnick EH. Context-dependent GATA factor function: combinatorial requirements for transcriptional control in hematopoietic and endothelial cells. J. Biol. Chem. 282:14665-14674. 2007.