Assistant Director, Endocrine Research Unit, SFVAMC
Assistant Adjunct Professor of Medicine, UCSF

Email: wenham.chang@va.gov

Dr. Chang's research explores the impact of extracellular Ca2+ (calcium) and anabolic growth factors on cartilage development and the capacity of chondrocytes (cartilage cells) to repair the cartilage following traumatic injuries. One of his projects investigates the role of the Ca2+-sensing receptor (CaR), which responds to minute changes in the extracellular Ca2+ concentrations, in chondrocyte differentiation in vivo and in vitro. Another project studies the role of the CaR in maintaining the integrity of articular cartilage in aging animals. In a parallel project, similar animal models were generated to investigate the anabolic actions of the signaling molecules IGF1 and IGF1R in cartilage. Dr. Chang and his colleagues have also developed a unique chondrocyte culture system which recapitulates in vitro the sequence of chondrocyte differentiation in vivo. This technique will facilitate the testing and discovery of anabolic reagents for cartilage and provide further insights into the mechanisms underlying cartilage physiology and pathology.

Cheng Z, Tu C, Rodriguez L, Dvorak M, Chen T-H, Margeta M, Gassmann M, Bettler B, Shoback D, Chang W. 2007. Type B Gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors modulate the function of the extracellular Ca2+-sensing receptor in murine growth plate chondrocytes. Endocrinology 148:4984-92.

Tu C, Chang W, Bikle DD. 2008. Inactivation of the calcium sensing receptor inhibits E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion and calcium-induced differentiation in human epidermal keratinocytes. J Biol Chem 283:3519-28.