Matthias U. Nollert

Research Interests

Our research in the area of biomedical engineering seeks to understand the role of fluid mechanics in modulating the biology of blood cells and the cells of the blood vessel wall. There is good evidence that changes in blood flow characteristics may lead to the development of vascular disease. Only by studying vascular cells in a flowing system that closely mimics the environment found in the blood vessels can we understand how these cells behave in the body and why vascular disease occurs.

We are currently examining alterations in protein production in blood vessel wall cells that are exposed to fluid flow. We are also investigating how the response of cells to certain hormones may change if the cells are exposed to flow. In collaboration with investigators at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences center, we are looking at the influence of fluid mechanics on the interaction between white blood cells and the blood vessel wall. These studies will determine the molecular mechanism of this interaction and may indicate new approaches for the development of drugs to prevent an inappropriate immune response.

Selected Publications

"Leukocyte-Leukocyte Interactions Mediated by Platelet Microparticles under Flow", Forlow, S.B., McEver, R.P., and Nollert, M.U. Blood. 2000 Feb 15; 95(4):1317-23.

"Intracellular Calcium Response of Endothelial Cells Exposed to Flow in the Presence of Thrombin or Histamine", Worthen, L.M. and Nollert, M.U., Journal of Vascular Surgery 32(3), 593-601, Sept. 2000.

"Dimerization of a Selectin and its Ligand Stabilizes Cell Rolling and Enhances Tether Strength in Shear Flow" Ramachandaran V., Yago, T, Epperson, T.K., Kobzdej, M., Nollert, M. Cummings, R. Zhu, C. and McEver, R., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Aug 28;98(18):10166-71.

"An Easy Heat and Mass Transfer Experiment for Transport Phenomena" Nollert, M.U., Chem. Engr. Educ. 36(1), 56-59, 2002.

Yago T, Leppanen a, Qiu H, Marcus WD, Nollert MU, Zhu C, Cummings RD, McEver RP. "Distinct Molecular and Cellular Contributions to Stabilizing Selectin-Mediated Rolling Under Flow", J Cell Biol. 2002 Aug 19:158(4):787-99.

"Platelet-derived NO Slows Thrombus Growth on a Collagen Type III Surface", R. Heath Williams and M. U. Nollert, Thrombosis Journal Thromb J, 2004. 2(1): 11.

"Chemical modification of SWNT Alters in Vitro Cell-SWNT interactions", A. Nimmagadda, K. Thurston, M.U. Nollert, and P.S. McFetridge, J Biomed Mater Res A. 2006 Mar 1;76(3):614-25.

"The Research Proposal in Biochemical and Biological Engineering Courses", R.G. Harrison, M.U. Nollert, D.W. Schmidtke, and V.I. Sikavitsas, to appear Chem. Engr. Educ. 2007.

"The Synergy Site of Fibronectin is Required for Strong Interaction with the Platelet Integrin allbß3", D. Chada, T. Mather, and M.U. Nollert, submitted to Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 2006 Aug 25.

"Applications and Implications of Single Walled Carbon Nano-Tubes in Tissue Engineering", M.U. Nollert, and P.S. McFetridge, in Tissue, Cell and Organ Engineering, Challa Kumar ed. Wiley, New York, 2007.