Leblanc Lab

Mission

Advancing the diagnosis, causes and life-saving treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) through ground-breaking discoveries.

Key areas of focus

  • Researching the potential role of TMEM16A, Anoctamin-1 (ANO1) and calcium-activated chloride channel (CaCC) in the development of PAH.
  • Providing convincing evidence that CaCC and ANO1 channels exhibit increased expression and function in PAH.
  • Evaluating the potential of CaCC and TMEM16A as therapeutic targets for the treatment and possible diagnosis of PAH.

Lab team

Normand Leblanc, Ph.D., is a professor and vice chair in the department of Pharmacology. With a background in biophysics, Leblanc seeks to understand pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare and poorly understood human disease. The Leblanc Lab's innovative techniques have uncovered convincing evidence that CaCC and ANO1 channels, which are highly expressed in the pulmonary arterial vasculature, exhibit increased expression and function in PAH. These findings could lead to the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics.

  • Normand Leblanc, Ph.D.: Principal Investigator
  • Peter Blair, Ph.D.: Microscopy and Imaging Specialist, High Spatial and Temporal Imaging Core, Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) for Molecular and Cellular Signal Transduction in the Cardiovascular System
  • Brennan Sullivan: Laboratory technician
  • Azauna Gebremeskel: Undergraduate researcher
  • Connor Jimenez, Ph.D.: Student in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology (CMPP)
  • Ziming Dong: First year medical student

Notable research findings

  • Published a ground-breaking discovery hypothesizing that CaCC/ANO1- CaV2- IP3R complex may be responsible for triggering Ca2+ waves and contraction of pulmonary artery myocytes.
  • Exploring whether this unique assembly and function are altered in pulmonary hypertension, information that could lead to the development of novel therapeutics.

Equipment, technology and techniques

  • Extracellular and intracellular recording techniques
  • Patch clamp technique
  • Quantitative fluorescence measurements
  • Force measurements
  • Computer modeling of ion channel gating
  • Biochemical and molecular approaches

Active grants and research projects

  1. Nanoelectropulse-Induced Changes In Cell Excitability: A New Approach For Neuromodulation.
    • Award: 5U54EB027049
    • Funding organization: Department of Defense (DoD) - Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)
  2. Phase II Nevada Center of Biomedical Research Excellence in Molecular and Cellular Signal Transduction in the Cardiovascular System.
    • Award: NIH P20 GM130459
    • Funding organization: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  3. MMP9 Modulation of Uterine Contraction and Birth Timing.
    • Award: R01 HD100624
    • Funding organization: National Institutes of Health (NIH)