The Laboratory of Molecular Hermeneutics is interested in how cells regulate the intracellular calcium concentration. Cells use changes in calcium as a trigger for many cellular events, including muscle contraction, hormone secretion, and cell growth. The change in calcium levels can be modulated by the cell to tailor its response to the prevailing conditions. We have focussed on one aspect of this process, the release of calcium from intracellular stores.
Most cells contain both types of channels, but the relative amount varies.
Our goals can be divided into two general categories. The first is to understand the basic question of how the function of these channels are altered by processes within the cell. Our studies will provide information on how these channels work and will form the background for the second goal of our studies, the investigation of disease-induced changes in calcium release channel function. One major goal of this aspect of our studies is to understand the changes in intracellular calcium regulation observed in cells from patients with end-stage heart disease. The abnormalities in calcium regulation observed in these hearts can be explained by several defects, some acting in concert.