The Basic Biology of Aging at the University of Washington
May J. Reed, M.D.

Biosketch Information
Email: mjr@u.washington.edu

The original focus of our laboratory concentrated on wound repair in aging. Within that context, we found that angiogenesis in aging was significantly slowed and could be accelerated by stimulation with exogenous growth factors. More recently, we have determined that slowed migration of microvascular endothelial cells is a critical defect in the angiogenic response in aged tissues.

Thus, our present focus is to define how the extracellular environment can be modulated to enhance the movement of aged cells in vitro and in vivo. In particular, we are examining the role of the matrix metalloproteinases and their endogenous inhibitors, tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases, on invasion into 3-dimensional matrices in vitro and in vivo.

Dr. Reed is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. She served on the American Federation of Aging Research Scientific Advisory Council 1998-2001.

Selected Relevant Publications
Reed MJ, Corsa A, Penn P, Pendergrass W, Sage EH, Abrass IB. Neovascularization of sponge implants in aged mice: delayed angiogenesis is coincident with decreased levels of TGF-ß1 and type I collagen. Am J Path 152:113-123, 1998.

Arthur WT, Vernon RB, Sage EH, Reed MJ. Growth factors reverse the impaired sprouting of microvessels from aged mice. Microvasc Res 55:260-270, 1998.

Bassuk J, Pichler R, Rothmeir J, Pippen J, Gordon K, Meek R, Bradshaw A, Lombardi D, Stranjord T, Reed M, Sage H, Couser W, Johnson R. Induction of TGF-b1 by the matricellular protein SPARC in a rat model of glomerular nephritis. Kidney Int 57:117-128,1999.

Reed MJ, Corsa A, Kudravi S, McCormick R, Arthur WT. A deficit in collagenase activity contributes to impaired angiogenesis in aging. J Cell Biochem 77:116-126, 2000.

Reed MJ, Ferara N, Vernon RB. Impaired migration, integrin function, and actin cytoskeletal organization in dermal fibroblasts from a subset of aged human donors. Mech Aging Dev 122:1203-1220, 2001.

Bradshaw AD, Reed MJ, Sage EH. SPARC null mice exhibit accelerated cutaneous wound closure. J Histochem Cytochem 50:1-10, 2002.