Volkhard Lindner, M.D., Ph.D.

Center for Molecular Medicine
Maine Medical Center Research Institute
81 Research Drive
Scarborough, ME 04704
(207) 885-8143 Office
(207) 885-8174 Lab
(207) 885-8179 Fax
lindnv@mmc.org

Biosketch

Volkhard Lindner, M.D., Ph.D., a full time research scientist at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute (Center for Molecular Medicine), received his M.D. and Ph.D. degree from the University of Tuebingen, Germany. He joined MMCRI in 1995 after leaving an Assistant Professor position at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as a member on peer review committees for grant applications to the American Heart Association at the national and affiliate level.

Research Interests

We have identified the novel gene Collagen Triple Helix Repeat Containing-1 (Cthrc1) in a screen for novel genes associated with vascular injury and repair.  Expression of Cthrc1 is induced in the adventitia (outer layer) and developing neointimal lesion of injured blood vessels. Targeted disruption of the Cthrc1 gene in mice has identified important roles of this gene in blood vessel, lung, skin, cartilage, and bone formation.  In vivo and in vitro data indicate that Cthrc1 functions by negatively regulating the synthesis of fibrillar collagens type I and III via inhibition of TGF-b (transforming growth factor-beta). Currently the major research efforts in the laboratory are focused on the characterization of the biochemistry and biology of Cthrc1, as well as the evaluation of Chtrc1 as a therapeutic target.

Selected Publications

Landry, D.B., L.L. Couper, S.R. Bryant, and V. Lindner. 1997. Activation of the NF-kappa B and Ikappa B system in smooth muscle cells following rat arterial injury: Induction of VCAM-1 and MCP-1. Am.J.Pathol. 151:1085-1095

Couper, L.L., S.R. Bryant, J. Eldrup-J?rgensen, C.E. Bredenberg, and V. Lindner. 1997. Vascular endothelial growth factor increases the mitogenic response to fibroblast growth factor-2 in vascular smooth muscle cells in vivo via expression of fms- like tyrosine kinase-1. Circ. Res. 81:932-939

Bryant, S.R., R.J. Bjercke, D.A. Erichsen, A. Rege, and V. Lindner. 1999. Vascular remodeling in response to altered blood flow is mediated by fibroblast growth factor-2. Circ.Res. 84:323-328 

Smith, J.D., S.R. Bryant, L.L. Couper,, C.P.H. Vary, P.J. Gotwals, V.E. Koteliansky, and V. Lindner. 1999. Soluble TGF-beta type II receptor inhibits intimal lesion formation and negative remodeling but not endothelial regeneration in injured arteries. Circ.Res. 84:1212-1222

Harmon, K.J., L.L. Couper, and V. Lindner. 2000. Strain-dependent vascular remodeling phenotypes in inbred mice. Am.J.Pathol. 156(5):1741-8.

Mandinov, L., Mandinova, A., Kyurkchiev, S., Kyurkchiev, D., Kehayov, I., Kolev, V., Soldi, R., Bagal?, C., deMuinck, E.D., Lindner, V., Post, M.J., Simons, M., Bellum, S., Prudovsky, I. and Maciag, T. Copper Chelation Represses the Vascular Response to Injury. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. 2003; 100:6700-6705.

Ryan, S.T., Koteliansky, V.E., Gotwals, P.J., Lindner, V. Transforming Growth Factor-Beta Dependent Events in Vascular Remodeling Following Arterial Injury. J. Vasc. Res., 2003; 40:37-46.

Myers, D.L., Harmon, K.J., Lindner, V. and Liaw, L. Alterations of Arterial Physiology in Osteopontin-Null Mice. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., 2003; 23:1021-1028.

Pyagay P, Heroult M, Wang Q, Lehnert W, Belden J, Liaw L, Friesel RE, Lindner V. Collagen triple helix repeat containing 1, a novel secreted protein in injured and diseased arteries, inhibits collagen expression and promotes cell migration. Circ Res. Feb 4 2005;96(2):261-268.

Lindner V, Wang Q, Conley BA, Friesel RE, Vary CP. Vascular injury induces expression of periostin: implications for vascular cell differentiation and migration. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. Jan 2005;25(1):77-83.

Durmus T, LeClair RJ, Park KS, Terzic A, Yoon JK, Lindner V. Expression analysis of the novel gene collagen triple helix repeat containing-1 (Cthrc1). Gene Expr Patterns. Dec 2006;6(8):935-940.

Lab Photo

From left to right: Volkhard Lindner, Kathleen Carrier, Aleksandra Terzic, Renée LeClair. Qiaozeng Wang