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Education
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Drexel University (2001)
Mentor: Aladin M. Boriek, Ph.D.
Michael Lopez
Michael Lopez
Baylor College of Medicine
Department: Department of Medicine - Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
Address: Baylor College of Medicine
One Baylor Plaza, Anderson Bldg., Suite 518B
Houston, TX 77030

Phone: 713-798-1778
Fax: 713-798-3619
Email: michaell@bcm.edu
Web:
Honors

2004 Medical Student Fellow, Bristol-Myers Squibb Fellowship in Academic Medicine awarded by National Medical Fellowship
Research Topic

Respiratory Muscle Mechanics
Research Description
 In our lab we investigate the physiological, mechanical, and molecular mechanisms of passive force transmission, viscoelasticity, and contractility in muscles of the respiratory system. The respiratory muscles include skeletal and smooth muscles that are vital to normal ventilation and gas exchange in the lungs. The diaphragm, a skeletal muscle, is the principle pressure-generating pump of the respiratory system. While the regulation of airway resistance is determined principally by activation of smooth muscles lining the respiratory airways. Therefore, flow through the airways and lung ventilation is determined by concerted efforts of the diaphragm and airway smooth muscles. Together these respiratory muscles regulate ventilation of the lungs in order to maintain blood carbon dioxide and oxygen concentrations at homeostatic levels, under a variety of physiologic conditions.

Our aim is to understand how the aberration of mechanical properties of airway smooth muscle and the diaphragm may initiate or contribute to the pathogenesis of diseases such as muscular dystrophy and pro-inflammatory conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (asthma, emphysema) and obesity. All of which can lead to significant respiratory distress or respiratory failure resulting in compromised gas exchange in the lungs. In order to assess normal function, we quantify the effects of these disease states by focusing on alterations to respiratory muscle mechanical properties and on the response of these muscles to mechanical stimuli.

Currently, I am investigating the role of Titin, a giant myofilament, responsible for conferring viscoelasticity and passive extensibility properties to striated muscle. Titin is a unique myofilament that has inherent mechanical properties essential for normal muscle function. Titin's may also serve as a mechanosensitive signal transduction element. Our aim is to assess the structural and functional role of titin by studying a subtle defect in the protein myofilament which leads to a severe muscular dystrophy in mice and most likely early death by respiratory failure.
Selected Publications
  • M. A. Lopez, U. Mayer, W. Hwang, T. Taylor, M. A. Hashmi, S. R. Jannapureddy, and Aladin M. Boriek. Force transmission, compliance, and viscoelasticity are altered in the alpha7-integrin-null mouse diaphragm. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, Feb 2005; 288: C282 - C289.
  • Pardo PS, Lopez MA, Boriek AM. The FOXO Transcription Factors Are Mechanosensitive And Their Regulation Is Altered With Aging In The Respiratory Pump. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 294:1056-1066, 2008.

Last edited on: August 01, 2007

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