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Ebo D. deMuinck, M.D.

Contact Information:

Professional Interests:

My laboratory is a translational lab. with a focus on understanding and measuring the impact of CD13/APN as announced by molecular imaging on neo-vascularization, ischemic wound healing, perfusion, oxygenation and function of the heart.

We have demonstrated that angiogenic vasculature in the heart can be targeted and imaged using a synthetic peptide sequence consisting of asparagine-glycine-arginine (NGR). The vascular address for this homing sequence is a cell surface metalloprotease, aminopeptidase N (APN) also known as CD13/APN, and we found that newly formed blood vessel can be targeted and imaged using conjugates of NGR with different fluorescent molecules. As a translational step towards clinical application of this imaging modality, we are establishing this method in the porcine chronic myocardial ischemia model using NGR decorated iron-oxide nanoparticles that are detectable by MR imaging. We are identifying the stage of vascular development that is announced by CD13/APN expression and in order to measure the impact of these neo-vessels on perfusion, oxygenation and function we use a multi-modal imaging approach that includes functional and perfusion sensitive MR imaging, tissue pO2 and oxygen free radical measurements by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) imaging, micro-PET with oxygen sensitive tracers and flow measurements with ultrasound contrast. The impact of vessel density and anatomy of the vascular tree on these parameters is measured by micro-CT.

The possibility of treating and monitoring therapeutic effect at the same target is appealing and therefore our goal is to favorably alter wound healing after ischemic injury with NGR decorated particles carrying a ‘payload’ of a therapeutic that modifies the wound healing process focusing on collagen deposition as a first step.

In addition we have shown that CD13/APN is present on blood vessels in human atherosclerotic plaque and we are currently developing an intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS) based multi-modal imaging method that combines standard IVUS imaging with elastography and targeted imaging of plaque vasculature with ultrasound contrast.

Finally, in our search to understand the role of CD13/APN in neo-vascularization we have recently discovered in collaboration with Dr. Jose Conejo-Garcia from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, that CD11c dendritic cells are present in the healing murine myocardial infarct. These cells are practically all CD13/APN positive (95%) and express the canonical endothelial marker VE-Cadherin. Thus, for the first time we show the contribution of pure hematopoietic cells to cardiac angiogenesis and their ability to acquire an endothelial phenotype indicating a thus far unrecognized plasticity of these cells. The high proportion of DC indicates a previously unnoticed role of immune cells in cardiac neo-vascularization. The observation that cells of myeloid origin (DC) participate in neo-vascularization could be an indication that embryonic mechanisms of vasculogenesis are recapitulated in adult organisms.

Courses Taught:

Medical School
Cardiovascular physiology in Medical Physiology 110
Pharmacology small group (2 nd year med. students)
Advanced Medical Sciences ( 4 th year med. students)
Graduate Program in Experimental and Molecular Medicine: Advanced Systems Physiology (PEMM 271)

Thayer School of Engineering
Cardiovascular Imaging (undergraduate level, ENGS 10)

Advanced Cardiovascular Physiology (graduate level)

Grant Information:

Structure/Function of Neovessels Imaged with NGR Peptide
Funding Source: R01 HL078622 NHLBI (

Multimodal Imaging of Neo-Vessels
Funding Source: Philips Electronics North America Corp.

A Novel Bioresorbable Septal Occlunder
Funding Source: NMT Medical, Inc.

3OST1 Deficiency and Cardiovascular Disease
Funding Source:NHLBI

Angiogenesis in Disease Model
Funding Source: University of Connecticut