Dear Medical College of Georgia friends,

New research by Drs. Masuko Ushio-Fukai and Tohru Fukai identifies how blood vessels grow and heal

Research is such an integral part of who we are as a medical school. For the past nearly 200 years, discoveries made by MCG faculty have advanced our understanding of health and disease, improved patient care and helped shape the future of medicine. Today is no different.

Here’s a recent example: Drs. Masuko Ushio-Fukai and Tohru Fukai are no doubt a dynamic duo in both science and life. Known not only for their groundbreaking discoveries, but also for their kindness and generosity as colleagues, mentors and collaborators, they have spent decades helping shape our understanding of vascular biology and the mechanisms that drive health and disease.

Drs. Fukai and Ushio-Fukai and colleagues in MCG’s Vascular Biology Center, recently published an important study in Nature Communications that advances our understanding of how blood vessels grow and repair after injury. Dr. Sheela Nagaracoti, a postdoctoral fellow in their laboratory, serves as the study’s first author. The science is complex, but to pare it down, they identified a previously unknown molecular pathway that controls angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, by linking growth factor signals with the cellular energy production required to build and repair vascular tissue.

This new discovery has implications for peripheral artery disease, ischemic heart disease and diabetes

Specifically, they discovered that a protein called Drp1, a regulator of mitochondrial dynamics, acts as a molecular sensor (or switch, if you will), helping the endothelial cells that line blood vessels respond to growth signals and activate glycolysis, the energy-producing process that fuels blood vessel formation, even in low-oxygen environments. Their work also revealed an important role for reactive oxygen species, naturally occurring molecules that help cells communicate. When produced at the right place and time, these molecules activate Drp1 and help coordinate the complex cellular signaling required for vascular repair.

This discovery has important implications for conditions such as peripheral artery disease, ischemic heart disease and diabetes, where the body’s ability to form new blood vessels is often impaired and hinders recovery. By uncovering how Drp1 links cellular signaling, energy production and blood vessel growth, they have identified a promising new therapeutic target for improving circulation and tissue repair. This latest work, which is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health including an NIH Program Project (P01) grant, is another great example of the high-impact science that has become a hallmark of their work and the work of so many at this medical school. Congratulations.

New discovery from Dr. Joseph Miano’s lab reveals how arteries protect themselves from heart disease

Here’s more great science from the VBC. Dr. Joseph Miano and his team recently published another important study in Circulation that gives us a better understanding of why some people may be at greater risk for coronary artery disease. The focus of the study was LMOD1, a gene previously associated with heart disease risk. What the team found is that LMOD1 appears to act as a powerful protector of the coronary arteries. When that protection was removed in an animal model, plaque buildup occurred remarkably quickly – compelling evidence that the artery wall itself plays a critical role in resisting disease.

The work also challenges the traditional view that atherosclerosis is driven primarily by cholesterol and inflammation. Using advanced imaging and cell-tracing techniques, the researchers showed that smooth muscle cells within the artery wall actively participate in plaque development, and that LMOD1 helps those cells resist becoming overwhelmed by cholesterol. They also discovered that the gene’s protective effects extend beyond what scientists previously understood about its function, opening new avenues for research, potential therapeutic targets and more personalized approaches to preventing coronary artery disease. Because atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of heart disease, advances like this are critical to developing new strategies to identify risk earlier and better protect patients from the nation’s leading killer. Great work, you all.

Dr. Matt Lyon appointed to Department of Community Health’s GREAT Health Advisory Council

I say it often because it’s true: MCG has some of the most remarkable faculty you’ll find anywhere. One thing that sets them apart is their commitment to simply making a difference in people’s lives. They do that in different ways, whether it’s discovering the next breakthrough in science, educating the next generation or ensuring that patients have access to high-quality care.

Dr. Matt Lyon, our J. Harold Harrison Chair in Digital Health, is a perfect example. This emergency medicine physician (and MCG alum) has dedicated much of his career to expanding access to expert care for rural and underserved communities across Georgia. Through the Center for Digital Health, which he leads, Dr. Lyon and his team make it their mission to connect patients to the specialists they need, helping ensure that someone’s zip code doesn’t determine the quality of care they receive.

So, suffice it to say, it wasn’t surprising to learn that he was recently appointed to the GREAT Health Advisory Council. The council helps guide the Department of Community Health’s GREAT Health Program, a statewide initiative focused on improving health care in rural Georgia, by providing strategic input and expertise on the unique needs of rural communities. I know he will represent MCG well in this important work.

Blue Ribbon Study Committee visits campus

While we’re talking about improving access to care across Georgia, AU recently had the opportunity to host the House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Community Health and Healthcare Oversight, chaired by State Rep. Mark Newton (also an emergency medicine physician and MCG alum). One of the committee’s goals is examining ways to strengthen Georgia’s healthcare workforce and address physician shortages, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

President Russell Keen and I joined several of our MCG leaders, including Vice Dean Dr. Kelli Braun, Associate Dean Dr. Kathryn Martin, and Senior Associate Dean Dr. Natasha Savage, to discuss the innovative ways MCG is helping meet those needs. From our statewide network of regional campuses to programs like the Assurance in Medicine (AIM) Program and the MCG 3+ Primary Care Pathway, we are committed to building pathways that recruit, train and retain physicians for communities across Georgia.

One message was consistent: where physicians train is often where they choose to practice. That’s why MCG’s presence in communities across the state is so important. By exposing students to rural and underserved areas during their education and creating opportunities for them to remain in Georgia for residency training and practice, we are helping build the physician workforce our state needs now and for generations to come.

None of this work would be possible without the consistent support of the Georgia General Assembly. We are certainly grateful for the partnership of legislators across the state, including Dr. Newton and State Representatives Darlene Taylor and Devan Seabaugh, whose commitment benefits the communities they represent and the entire state of Georgia.

MCG’s Got Talent is planned for next Saturday, Aug. 29

One of the things I enjoy most about MCG is that our students, staff and faculty continually find ways to surprise and inspire me. While we know them for their work in the classrooms, labs and clinical environments, many also possess remarkable talents beyond their academic and professional lives. MCG’s Got Talent is a chance to celebrate those talents and enjoy an evening that showcases another side of the outstanding people who learn and work here. It’s always a fun night.

This year’s show, organized by our Classes of 2029 and 2030, is on Saturday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. in the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre on the Summerville Campus. You can also enjoy an art show in the lobby beforehand. Tickets are $10, and all proceeds will benefit the Georgia Cancer Center.

My best to you all,

David C. Hess, MD

Dean, Medical College of Georgia

Upcoming Events

August 28 (New Date) – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium
September 18 – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium
October 16 – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium
October 24 – MCG White Coat Ceremony, 2 p.m., Bell Auditorium