Dr. Daniel Kopinke, an Associate Professor of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and his students study stem cells and their roles in repairing damaged tissues. While the term ‘stem cell’ might not be unfamiliar to you, it’s important to start with some basics. A stem cell is a type of cell that has the capability to differentiate and form different cell types beyond what they originally are. A focus in the Kopinke lab is to understand how these cells are being “told” what to do for the many needs of the body.
In one line of his stem cell research, Dr. Kopinke and his lab are studying Fibro-Adipogenic Progenitors, also known as FAPs. FAPs are adult stem cells with the potential to develop into connective tissues like bones, cartilage, and fat. FAPs are found in multiple tissues, including skeletal muscle tissue and fibrotic scar tissue. Stem cells typically produce pro-regenerative factors, factors that help the muscle heal better. There are, however, certain diseases that prevent this from happening and cause more damage by turning the FAPs into scar and fat tissue.
The Kopinke lab is currently exploring the mechanisms underlying FAP-mediated disease progression. They want to understand the molecular signals that govern FAP behavior and their role in disease development. Essentially, the Kopinke lab wants to know how these cells are getting the information to do their job and why. What signals are involved? How do the cells know what these signals mean? They are trying to understand this as well as why in certain diseases, that signal isn’t being sent. Once the lab discovers this, that’s when preventative medicine steps in – they will figure out what is causing the signal to break then find a way to prevent that from happening.
The Kopinke lab has identified that a certain cellular signaling pathway, known as the Hedgehog signaling pathway, is a critical regulator of tissue regeneration and disease. Their research indicates that this pathway can be activated to prevent fat formation and promote muscle healing. They are now exploring the therapeutic potential of Hedgehog signaling with the hopes that it provides great insight into fundamental developmental biology and also novel therapeutic approaches to treat a variety of diseases affected by scar and fat tissue.