The long-range goal of the Ebong Mechanobiology Lab is to identify mechanically regulated cellular and molecular targets to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases associated with vasculature. I have been integrating chemical and biomedical engineering, molecular biology approaches, and in vitro and in vivo experimentation to study cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular function over a range of combined fluid-solid mechanical stimuli. I have been particularly focused on the endothelial cells that line the blood vessel wall and are in direct contact with both fluid (blood) and solid (blood vessel wall) forces that are both part of the natural mechanical environment of blood vessels. These cells detect these forces, and, in response, guide blood vessel function to maintain health. My molecular focus has been on the vasculoprotective glycocalyx that coats the endothelial cells, and on defining its structure, chemical composition, and mechanotransduction activities. Diseases associated with the vasculature are thought to occur as consequences of endothelial glycocalyx shedding.

I look forward to advancing the endothelial glycocalyx research to study its role in endothelial cell pathophysiological remodeling and function in mechanical conditions associated with vascular health and atherosclerosis, cancer metastasis, and brain and neurovascular health as well as mild traumatic brain injury. Towards this end, my research group has a number of productive collaborations that are ongoing with vascular pathologists, oncologists, neuroscientists and other experts. Successful outcomes of our collaborative research, to date, include technical publications in peer-reviewed journals. I anticipate that the findings of our work will someday be applied to the engineering and commercialization of novel tools for targeting the blood vessels, endothelial cells, and/or glycocalyx to diagnose and treat multiple diseases that are associated with vascular dysfunction.

Successful outcomes of my work, to date, include strong technical publications, award recognition, and funding from NIH NHLBI, NSF CMMI, and industry partners.

Training opportunities are available for students interested in both basic and clinical research.

Mensah S.A., Nersesyan A.A., Harding I.C., Lee C.I., Tan X., Banerjee S., Niedre M., Torchilin V.P., Ebong E.E. Flow-regulated endothelial glycocalyx determines metastatic cancer cell activity. FASEB J. 2020 Mar 13; 34(5):6166-6184. PMID: 32167209

Cheng M.J., Mitra R., Okorafor C.C., Nersesyan A.A., Harding I.C., Bal N.N., Kumar R., Jo H., Sridhar S., Ebong E.E. Targeted Intravenous Nanoparticle Delivery: Role of Flow and Endothelial Glycocalyx Integrity. Ann Biomed Eng. 2020 Feb 18 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 32072383

Cai X., Qiao J., Kulkarni P., Harding I.C., Ebong E., Ferris C.F. Imaging the effect of the circadian light-dark cycle on the glymphatic system in awake rats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Jan 7;117(1):668-676. PMID: 31848247

Harding,I.C., Mitra, R., Mensah, S.A., Nersesyan, A., Bal, N.N., and Ebong, E.E. Endothelial Barrier Reinforcement Relies on Flow-Regulated Glycocalyx, a Potential Therapeutic Target. Biorheology. 2019 Mar 29; 56(2-3):131-149. PMID: 30988234

Harding, I.C. and Ebong, E.E. Centralized Endothelial Mechanobiology, Endothelial Dysfunction, & Atherosclerosis. In: Nagatomi J. and Ebong, E.E. (eds.), 2nd Edition Mechanobiology Handbook, CRC Publishing, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton. 2019 January.

Cheng, M.J.*, Bal, N.*, Prabakaran P., Kumar R., Sridhar S., and Ebong E.E.  Ultrasmall gold nanorods: synthesis and glycocalyx-related permeability in human endothelial cells. International Journal of Nanomedicine. 2019 January 17; 14:319-333. *Authors made equal contributions to this work. PMID: 30697044

Nagatomi, J and Ebong, E.E. 2^nd Edition Mechanobiology Handbook. CRC, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton. Jan 2019 (edited book)

Harding, I., Mensah., S.A., Herman, I.M., and Ebong, E.E. Pre-Atherosclerotic Disturbed Flow Disrupts Caveolin-1 Expression, Localization, and Function via Glycocalyx Degradation. Journal of Translational Medicine. 2018 Dec 18; 16:364.  PMID: 30563532

Mitra, R., Qiao, J., O'Neil, G., Ritchie, B.L., Kulkarni, P., Sridhar, S., van de Ven, A.L., Ferris, C., Hamilton, J.A., and Ebong, E.E. The Comparative Effects of High Fat Diet or Disturbed Blood Flow on Glycocalyx Integrity and Vascular Inflammation. Translational Medicine Communications. 22 November 2018, 3: 10. PMID: 30957020

Cheng, M. J., Prabakaran, P., Kumar, R., Sridhar, S., Ebong, E. E. Synthesis of Functionalized 10-nm Polymer-coated Gold Particles for Endothelium Targeting and Drug Delivery. Journal of Visualized Experiments. 2018 Jan; (131), e56760. PMID: 29364277

Mitra R.^*, O'Neil G.L.^*, Harding I.C., Cheng M.J., Mensah S.A., Ebong E.E. Glycocalyx in Atherosclerosis-Relevant Endothelium Function and as a Therapeutic Target. Current Atherosclerosis Reports. 2017 Nov 10; 19(12): 63. *Authors made equal contributions to this work. PMID 29127504

Mensah S.A., Cheng M.J., Homayoni H., Plouffe B.D., Coury A.J., Ebong E.E. Regeneration of glycocalyx by heparan sulfate and sphingosine 1-phosphate restores inter-endothelial communication. PLoS One. 2017 Oct 12; 12(10):e0186116.  PMID: 29023478

Russell-Puleri S., dela Paz N.G., Adams  D.,  Chattopadhyay M.,  Cancel L.E., Ebong, E., Orr, A.W., Frangos, J.A., Tarbell, J.M. Fluid shear stress induces upregulation of COX-2 and PGI(2) release in endothelial cells via a pathway involving PECAM-1, PI3K, FAK, and p38. American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 2017 Mar 1; 312 (3): H485-H500.  PMID: 28011582

Wong W.T., Ma S., Tian X.Y., Gonzalez A.B., Ebong E.E. Shen H. Targeted Delivery of Shear Stress-Inducible Micrornas by Nanoparticles to Prevent Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Lesions. Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2016 Sep;12(3):152-156.  PMID: 27826369

Ebong E.E., Lopez-Quintero S.V., Rizzo V., Spray D.C., Tarbell J.M. Shear-induced endothelial NOS activation and remodeling via heparan sulfate, glypican-1, and syndecan-1. Integr Biol. 2014 Mar; 6(3):338-47. PMID: 24480876

Zeng Y., Waters M., Andrews A., Honarmandi P., Ebong E.E., Rizzo V., Tarbell J.M. Fluid Shear Stress Induces the Clustering of Heparan Sulfate via Mobility of Glypican-1 in Lipid Rafts. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2013 Sep 15; 305(6):H811-20. PMID: 23851278

Ebong, E.E., and DePaola, N. Specificity in the Participation of Connexin Proteins in Flow-induced Endothelial Gap Junction Communication. Pflugers Arch. 2013 Sep; 465(9):1293-302.  PMID: 23568367

Thi, M. M., Ebong, E.E., Spray, D.C., Suadicani, S.O. Interaction of the Glycocalyx with the Actin Cytoskeleton. In: Ed., Dermietzel R (ed.), Neuromethods, Springer Publishing, 2013 January; 79: 43-62.

Zeng, Y., Ebong, E.E., Fu, B.M., Tarbell, J.M. The Structural Stability of the Endothelial Glycocalyx after Enzymatic Removal of Glycosaminoglycans. PLoS ONE. 2012 Aug 14; 7(8): e43168.  PMID: 22905223

Ebong, E.E., Macaluso F., Spray D.C., and Tarbell J.M. Imaging the Endothelial Glycocalyx In Vitro by Rapid Freezing/Freeze Substitution Transmission Electron Microscopy, Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2011 Aug; 31(8):1908-15. PMID: 21474821

Ebong, E.E., Kim S., DePaola N. Flow Regulates Intercellular Communication in HAEC by Assembling Functional Cx40 and Cx37 Gap Junctional Channels. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2006 May; 290(5):H2015-23.  PMID: 16361362