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Mapping and Quantification of Vascular Branching in Plants, Animals and Humans by VESGEN SoftwareHumans face daunting challenges in the successful exploration and colonization of space, including adverse alterations in gravity and radiation. The Earth-determined biology of humans, animals and plants is significantly modified in such extraterrestrial environments. One physiological requirement shared by humans with larger plants and animals is a complex, highly branching vascular system that is dynamically responsive to cellular metabolism, immunological protection and specialized cellular/tissue function. The VESsel GENeration (VESGEN) Analysis has been developed as a mature beta version, pre-release research software for mapping and quantification of the fractal-based complexity of vascular branching. Alterations in vascular branching pattern can provide informative read-outs of altered vascular regulation. Originally developed for biomedical applications in angiogenesis, VESGEN 2D has provided novel insights into the cytokine, transgenic and therapeutic regulation of angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis and other microvascular remodeling phenomena. Vascular trees, networks and tree-network composites are mapped and quantified. Applications include disease progression from clinical ophthalmic images of the human retina; experimental regulation of vascular remodeling in the mouse retina; avian and mouse coronary vasculature, and other experimental models in vivo. We envision that altered branching in the leaves of plants studied on ISS such as Arabidopsis thaliana cans also be analyzed.
Document ID
20100042235
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Presentation
Authors
Parsons-Wingerter, Patricia A.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Vickerman, Mary B.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Keith, Patricia A.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
November 4, 2010
Subject Category
Aerospace Medicine
Report/Patent Number
E-17591
Meeting Information
Meeting: 26th American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology Annual Meeting
Location: National Harbor, MD
Country: United States
Start Date: November 4, 2010
End Date: November 7, 2010
Sponsors: American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 685676.01.03.01
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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