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Whasil Lee, Ph.D.

Whasil Lee, Ph.D.

Contact

Office (585) 276-4631

Research Lab

About Me

Faculty Appointments

Assistant Professor - Department of Pharmacology and Physiology (SMD) - Joint

Research

The Lee Lab studies the mechanically activated ion channels expressed in knee joint cells to gain fundamental insights into mechanotransduction-related tissue development, maintenance, and degeneration. We investigate the mechanotransduction mechanisms of chondrocytes, synoviocytes, ligament cells, ...
The Lee Lab studies the mechanically activated ion channels expressed in knee joint cells to gain fundamental insights into mechanotransduction-related tissue development, maintenance, and degeneration. We investigate the mechanotransduction mechanisms of chondrocytes, synoviocytes, ligament cells, joint-innervating neurons and chondrogenic stem cells in both physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions. Our overarching goal is to deconstruct the function of key mechanotransducing ion channels of musculoskeletal cells and to and apply this knowledge to find rational therapeutic drugs which can stop the progression of osteoarthritis, stop the arthritis associated pain and/or regenerate healthy cartilage.

Publications

Journal Articles

Murine Hind Limb Explant Model for Studying the Mechanobiology of Achilles Tendon Impingement.

Wise BC, Mora KE, Lee W, Buckley MR

Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE.. 2023 December 8 (202)Epub 12/08/2023.

PIEZO1 is downregulated in glenohumeral chondrocytes in early cuff tear arthropathy following a massive rotator cuff tear in a mouse model.

Anderson DE, Broun KG, Kundu P, Jing X, Tang X, Lu C, Kotelsky A, Mannava S, Lee W

Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology.. 2023 11 :1244975. Epub 09/05/2023.

Hydrogel Swelling-Mediated Strain Induces Cell Alignment at Dentin Interfaces.

Fraser D, Nguyen T, Kotelsky A, Lee W, Buckley M, Benoit DSW

ACS biomaterials science & engineering.. 2022 July 6 Epub 07/06/2022.

Effect of knee joint loading on chondrocyte mechano-vulnerability and severity of post-traumatic osteoarthritis induced by ACL-injury in mice.

Kotelsky A, Elahi A, Nejat Yigit C, Proctor A, Mannava S, Pröschel C, Lee W

Osteoarthritis and cartilage open.. 2022 March 4 (1):100227. Epub 12/15/2021.

The Role of Mechanically-Activated Ion Channels Piezo1, Piezo2, and TRPV4 in Chondrocyte Mechanotransduction and Mechano-Therapeutics for Osteoarthritis.

Gao W, Hasan H, Anderson DE, Lee W

Frontiers in cell and developmental biology.. 2022 10 :885224. Epub 05/04/2022.

Inflammatory signaling sensitizes Piezo1 mechanotransduction in articular chondrocytes as a pathogenic feed-forward mechanism in osteoarthritis.

Lee W, Nims RJ, Savadipour A, Zhang Q, Leddy HA, Liu F, McNulty AL, Chen Y, Guilak F, Liedtke WB

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 2021 March 30118 (13)Epub 1900 01 01.

Small molecule dual-inhibitors of TRPV4 and TRPA1 for attenuation of inflammation and pain.

Kanju P, Chen Y, Lee W, Yeo M, Lee SH, Romac J, Shahid R, Fan P, Gooden DM, Simon SA, Spasojevic I, Mook RA, Liddle RA, Guilak F, Liedtke WB

Scientific reports.. 2016 June 16 :26894. Epub 06/01/2016.

TRPV4 is necessary for trigeminal irritant pain and functions as a cellular formalin receptor.

Chen Y, Kanju P, Fang Q, Lee SH, Parekh PK, Lee W, Moore C, Brenner D, Gereau RW, Wang F, Liedtke W

Pain.. 2014 December 155 (12):2662-72. Epub 10/02/2014.

Synergy between Piezo1 and Piezo2 channels confers high-strain mechanosensitivity to articular cartilage.

Lee W, Leddy HA, Chen Y, Lee SH, Zelenski NA, McNulty AL, Wu J, Beicker KN, Coles J, Zauscher S, Grandl J, Sachs F, Guilak F, Liedtke WB

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 2014 November 25111 (47):E5114-22. Epub 11/10/2014.

Mutation of conserved histidines alters tertiary structure and nanomechanics of consensus ankyrin repeats.

Lee W, Strümpfer J, Bennett V, Schulten K, Marszalek PE

The Journal of biological chemistry.. 2012 June 1287 (23):19115-21. Epub 04/18/2012.

Mechanical anisotropy of ankyrin repeats.

Lee W, Zeng X, Rotolo K, Yang M, Schofield CJ, Bennett V, Yang W, Marszalek PE

Biophysical journal.. 2012 March 7102 (5):1118-26. Epub 03/06/2012.

Full reconstruction of a vectorial protein folding pathway by atomic force microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations.

Lee W, Zeng X, Zhou HX, Bennett V, Yang W, Marszalek PE

The Journal of biological chemistry.. 2010 December 3285 (49):38167-72. Epub 09/24/2010.

Fast and forceful refolding of stretched alpha-helical solenoid proteins.

Kim M, Abdi K, Lee G, Rabbi M, Lee W, Yang M, Schofield CJ, Bennett V, Marszalek PE

Biophysical journal.. 2010 June 1698 (12):3086-92. Epub 1900 01 01.

Mechanical unfolding of an ankyrin repeat protein.

Serquera D, Lee W, Settanni G, Marszalek PE, Paci E, Itzhaki LS

Biophysical journal.. 2010 April 798 (7):1294-301. Epub 1900 01 01.

UVA generates pyrimidine dimers in DNA directly.

Jiang Y, Rabbi M, Kim M, Ke C, Lee W, Clark RL, Mieczkowski PA, Marszalek PE

Biophysical journal.. 2009 February 96 (3):1151-8. Epub 1900 01 01.

Minimizing pulling geometry errors in atomic force microscope single molecule force spectroscopy.

Rivera M, Lee W, Ke C, Marszalek PE, Cole DG, Clark RL

Biophysical journal.. 2008 October 95 (8):3991-8. Epub 07/18/2008.