# Live Cell Confocal Microscopy for Real-Time Imaging of Endothelial Glycocalyx Damage and Repair

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2023 · $249,988

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Dysregulation of microvascular function contributes to the pathophysiology of indirect organ injury after trauma.
In particular, damage to the endothelial glycocalyx occurs within minutes of traumatic injury and is associated
with increased microvascular permeability resulting in organ failure and increased mortality. Strategies that
attenuate glycocalyx disintegrity by preventing its cleavage and/or facilitating its repair hold significant promise
for minimizing microvascular dysfunction and post-traumatic organ injury. Thus, the overall objective of the
proposed work is to establish a basic science and translational research program focused on the identification
of novel therapeutic targets that will (1) prevent glycocalyx damage, (2) repair glycocalyx integrity or (3) inhibit
dysregulation of endothelial cell permeability that occurs as a result of glycocalyx disintegrity. The specific
programmatic areas of focus will include studies to identify the role of heparanase in regulating glycocalyx
(dis)integrity after trauma-hemorrhage and on mechanisms that mediate glycocalyx synthesis. Additionally, our
proposed studies will identify signaling pathways that regulate endothelial barrier function that are effected by
loss of cell surface glycosaminoglycans, heparan sulfate and hyaluronic acid, which are primary constituents of
the glycocalyx layer. Our research program will focus on the endothelial cell-specific response to trauma-
hemorrhage in organ systems that are most susceptible to secondary injury (e.g., kidney, lung and intestines)
with the over-arching goal of determining how resuscitation strategies mediate glycocalyx-dependent
mechanisms in each organ. These programmatic areas of research hold promise for significantly impacting the
current resuscitation paradigm for trauma patients in hemorrhagic shock by aiding in the discovery of novel
therapeutic targets that can be used to inhibit glycocalyx dysfunction, facilitate its repair or reverse the
downstream consequences of glycocalyx disintegrity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10797987
- **Project number:** 3R35GM137958-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Jillian Rouse Richter
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $249,988
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10797987

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10797987, Live Cell Confocal Microscopy for Real-Time Imaging of Endothelial Glycocalyx Damage and Repair (3R35GM137958-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10797987. Licensed CC0.

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