Discipline of Surgery / Research / Vascular Biology Research Centre

Vascular Biology Research Centre, Westmead Hospital

The Vascular Biology Research Centre is within the Department of Surgery at Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney. The VBRC is headed by Professor John Fletcher - the head of Surgery for the University. We are at the cutting edge of vascular research. Our success comes from the direct interaction between vascular surgeons and scientist to form a team which is working together to find a cure for many vascular related conditions. The research is directed by Dr Heather Medbury, and managed by Dr Ann Guiffre and Dr Mauro Vicaretti. Together we oversee the students (honours, Masters of Surgery, PhD etc) and Post Docs, who form an essential part of the team.

Our research is focused on understanding wound healing so that we can alter its progression to give a better outcome in various vascular conditions such as atherosclerosis and intimal hyperplasia. In particular we are focusing on the progenitor role of monocytes in wound healing, as it is now appreciated that the monocyte can transform into smooth muscle-like cell responsible for fibrosis in a variety of wound and fibrotic conditions such as healing of burns or asthma. We ourselves have recently identified it in both atherosclerosis and intimal hyperplasia. Our aim is to manipulate monocyte differentiation to give a better outcome in both these conditions. We currently have clinical, in vitro and in vivo projects in these areas.

Current projects

  • Tracking monocytes in wound healing, atherosclerosis, and intimal hyperplasia models, determining where, when and under what conditions they transform.
  • Examining the transformation of monocytes from patients with different vascular conditions to identify different factors that may promote fibrocyte formation.
  • Comparing monocytes, macrophages and fibrocytes to assess their role on atherosclerotic plaque stability.

Projects currently available for study include:

  • Intimal hyperplasia - details available here
  • Wound healing - details available here

Publications

Book chapters:

  • Medbury HJ 'Fibrocytes in atherogenesis' In Fibrocytes: New Insights into Tissue Repair and Systemic Fibroses. Ed R. Bucala, World Scientific Publishing, Feb 2007.

Journal Articles

2007

  • Russo, R., H. Medbury, A. Guiffre, H. Englert, and N. Manolios. 2007. Lack of increased expression of cell surface markers for circulating fibrocyte progenitors in limited scleroderma. Clin Rheumatol 26:1136-41. PMID: 17061153

2006

  • Varcoe, R. L., M. Mikhail, A. K. Guiffre, G. Pennings, M. Vicaretti, W. J. Hawthorne, J. P. Fletcher, and H. J. Medbury. 2006. The role of the fibrocyte in intimal hyperplasia. J Thromb Haemost 4:1125-33. PMID: 16689767
  • Varatharajan N, Pillay S, Hitos K, Fletcher JP. Implications of low great toe pressures in clinical practice. ANZ J Surg 2006; 76(4):218-221. PMID: 16681535
  • Hitos K, Fletcher JP. Venous thromboembolism following primary total knee arthroplasty. Int Angiol 2006; 25(4):343-351. PMID: 17164739

2005

  • Hitos K and Fletcher JP (2005). Venous thromboembolism and fractured neck of femur. Thromb Haemost 2005; 94(5): 991-6. PMID: 16363242
  • Cheung NW, Napier B, Zaccaria C and Fletcher JP. Hyperglycemia is associated with adverse outcomes in patients receiving total parenteral nutrition. Diabetes Care 2005; 28: 2367-2371. PMID: 16186264

2004

  • Fletcher JP, Ao PY, Hawthorne WJ. Antiproliferative effects of low molecular weight heparin. ANZ J Surg. 2004; 74:793-6. PMID: 15379813
  • Eftekhar K, Young N, Fletcher J, Bester L, Wong L and Puttaswamy V. Clinical efficacy of metal stents for the treatment of focal abdominal aortic stenosis. Australasian Radiology 2004; 48:17-20.

2003

  • Robinson BI, Fletcher JP. Fluoropolymer coated Dacron or polytetrafluoroethylene for femoropopliteal bypass grafting: a multicentre trial. ANZ J Surg. 2003; 73:95-9. (JI=0.783)
  • McEwen, A., C. Emmanuel, H. Medbury, A. Leick, D. M. Walker, and H. Zoellner. 2003. Induction of contact-dependent endothelial apoptosis by osteosarcoma cells suggests a role for endothelial cell apoptosis in blood-borne metastasis. J Pathol 201:395-403. PMID: 14595751

2002

  • Hawthorne WJ, Ao PY, Fletcher JP. Vascular closure staples reduce intimal hyperplasia in prosthesis implantation. ANZ J Surg 2002; 72:862-6. (JI= 0.783) PMID: 12485221
  • Tso C, Skinner MP, Hawthorne WJ, Fletcher JP. Matrigel-coated stents retard intimal thickening in a large animal vascular stent model. Int Angiol 2002; 21:244-9. PMID: 12384645
  • Hawthorne WJ, Ao PY, Vicaretti M, Fletcher JP. New methodology for assessment of intimal hyperplasia of vascular prostheses. ANZ J Surg 2002; 72:623-627. PMID: 12269909
  • Fletcher JP. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis: applying evidence-based guidelines. ANZ J Surg 2002; 72:320 PMID: 12028086
  • Huang, P., W. J. Hawthorne, P. Ao, G. L. Angeli, H. J. Medbury, and J. P. Fletcher. 2002. Perigraft adventitia and intima remodeling after synthetic patch implantation in sheep carotid artery: role of apoptosis and proliferation. J Vasc Surg 36:371-8. PMID: 12170220
  • Emmanuel, C., E. Foo, H. J. Medbury, J. Matthews, A. Comis, and H. Zoellner. 2002. Synergistic induction of apoptosis in human endothelial cells by tumour necrosis factor-alpha and transforming growth factor-beta. Cytokine 18:237-41. PMID: 12161098

2001

  • Huang, P., W. J. Hawthorne, A. Peng, G. L. Angeli, H. J. Medbury, and J. P. Fletcher. 2001. Calcium channel antagonist verapamil inhibits neointimal formation and enhances apoptosis in a vascular graft model. Am J Surg 181:492-8. PMID: 11513772
  • Xu, W., E. J. Favaloro, H. Medbury, and H. Zoellner. 2001. Human endothelial cells maintain anti-aggregatory activity for platelets during apoptosis. Thromb Haemost 85:915-23. PMID: 11372688

Contact Details

T +61 2 9845 7677
F +61 2 9893 7440
E hmedbury@med.usyd.edu.au