Jillian Richter, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery published “Trauma promotes heparan sulfate modifications and cleavage that disrupt homeostasis gene expression in microvascular endothelial cells” in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology alongside her team, including UAB Department of Pediatrics associate professor Robert Richter, M.D. Commission on Cancer Accreditation (CoC).
The study focused on heparan sulfate (HS), a key component of the endothelial glycocalyx (eGC) that lines blood vessels and plays a vital role in regulating endothelial cell functions. While it is known that trauma results in HS shedding from the eGC, the researchers aimed to understand the impact of trauma on HS sulfation and determine how HS shedding influences gene expression in vascular ECs.
The team analyzed plasma samples from 25 controls and 49 adults admitted to UAB’s level 1 trauma center, measuring HS levels and heparanase activity—the enzyme responsible for HS cleavage. They found that trauma significantly increases heparanase activity, leading to elevated HS levels in the bloodstream, which correlated with injury severity.
Importantly, the study also discovered that trauma changes the chemical structure of HS, specifically reducing certain types of sulfation, which may disrupt how HS regulates cell behavior. Additionally, these changes in HS structure were linked to higher levels of angiopoietin-2, a molecule involved in blood vessel activation and inflammation, suggesting a direct connection between HS modifications and how blood vessels respond to injury.
“These findings highlight the crucial role of HS in the body's response to trauma,” said Richter. “By identifying specific biomarkers, we can potentially assess trauma severity more accurately and develop targeted treatments to improve outcomes.”
This research paves the way for novel trauma care strategies focused on preserving endothelial health and modulating vascular responses at the molecular level—offering new hope for reducing complications and enhancing recovery in critically injured patients.
Read the paper here.
The authors on the paper are:
- Jillian R. Richter, Ph.D.
- Robert Richter, M.D.
- James D. Odum, M.D.
- Camilla Margaroli, Ph.D.
- Jessica C. Cardenas, Ph.D.
- Lei Zheng, M.S.