Featured Scholar: Bonnie Blazer-Yost, Ph.D.
Professor, Biology
School of Science
Dr. Bonnie Blazer-Yost’s primary interest is in epithelial cell biology as it relates to ion transport. Recently she has been investigating treatments for polycystic kidney disease. These studies resulted from a serendipitous finding regarding the potential use of Pioglitazone, a commonly used diabetes drug, in polycystic kidney disease patients. This research has progressed from tissue culture, through preclinical animal models and is currently funded as an initial clinical trial in polycystic kidney disease patients.
Dr. Blazer-Yost and her team are also researching potential treatments for hydrocephalus or “water on the brain.” Hydrocephalus may develop as a consequence of trauma, infection, tumors, intracranial hemorrhage or as a result of a congenital birth defect. Elderly patients may suffer from a poorly understood and underdiagnosed form called “normal pressure hydrocephalus,” characterized by urinary incontinence, gait instability, and dementia. Post-traumatic hydrocephalus occurs as the result of traumatic brain injury. Regardless of the form, brain surgery is currently the only effective long-term treatment. Dr. Blazer-Yost and her collaborators recently obtained a three-year Department of Defense grant to conduct translational studies in animal models with a goal of developing a drug treatment for hydrocephalus.
Dr. Blazer-Yost’s work to treat polycystic kidney disease and hydrocephalus is another example of how IU Indianapolis faculty are TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE.
Selected Publications in IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks
With several research works contributed to IU Indianapolis's free, open access repository, Dr. Blazer-Yost has made translational research knowledge available to professionals, researchers, students, and communities around the world.
Amiraj Banga, Frank A. Witzmann, Horia I. Petrache, and Bonnie Blazer-Yost. Functional Effects of Nanoparticle Exposure on Calu-3 Airway Epithelial Cells. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. (2012). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17164
Bonnie Blazer-Yost, B.J. Blacklock, S. Flaig, R.L. Bacallao, and V.H. Gattone. Lysophosphatidic acid is a modulator of cyst growth in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease., Lysophosphatidic Acid is a Modulator of Cyst Growth in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. (2011). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17160
Bonnie Blazer-Yost, Julie Haydon, Tracy Eggleston-Gulyas, Jey-Hsin Chen, Xiaofang Wang, Vincent Gattone, and Vicente E. Torres. Pioglitazone Attenuates Cystic Burden in the PCK Rodent Model of Polycystic Kidney Disease. PPAR Research. (2010). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17158
Miranda Menniti, Rodolfo Iuliano, Michael Föller, Mentor Sopjani, Ioana Alesutan, Stefania Mariggiò, Charity Nofziger, Angela M. Perri, Rosario Amato, Bonnie Blazer-Yost, Daniela Corda, Florian Lang, and Nicola Perrotti. 60kDa Lysophospholipase, a New Sgk1 Molecular Partner Involved in the Regulation of ENaC. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. (2010). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17146
Bonnie Blazer-Yost. PPAR Agonists: Blood Pressure and Edema. PPAR Research. (2010). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17144
Nicholas F. Garrone, Bonnie Blazer-Yost, Robert B. Weiss, Jean-Marc Lalouel, and Andreas Rohrwasser. A human polymorphism affects NEDD4L subcellular targeting by leading to two isoforms that contain or lack a C2 domain. BMC cell biology. (2009). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17142
Monalisa N. Muchatuta, Vincent H. Gattone, Frank A. Witzmann, and Bonnie Blazer-Yost. Structural and Functional Analyses of Liver Cysts from the BALB/c-cpk Mouse Model of Polycystic Kidney Disease. Experimental Biology and Medicine. (2009). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17138
Charity Nofziger and Bonnie Blazer-Yost. PPARγ Agonists, Modulation of Ion Transporters, and Fluid Retention. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. (2009). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17143
Ferruh Artunc, Diana Sandulache, Omaima Nasir, Krishna M. Boini, Bjorn Friedrich, Norbert Beier, Edith Dicks, Sven Potzsch, Karin Klingel, Kerstin Amann, Bonnie Blazer-Yost, Wolfgang Scholz, Teut Risler, Dietmar Kuhl, and Florian Lang. Lack of the serum and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase SGK1 attenuates the volume retention after treatment with the PPARγ agonist pioglitazone. Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology. (2008). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17136
Charity Nofziger, Kameljit Kalsi, T. Aaron West, Deborah Baines, and Bonnie Blazer-Yost. Vasopressin Regulates the Phosphorylation State of AMP-activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) in MDCK-C7 Cells. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. (2008). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17137
Michael Anne Shane, Charity Nofziger, and Bonnie Blazer-Yost. Hormonal regulation of the epithelial Na+ channel: From amphibians to mammals. General and Comparative Endocrinology. (2006). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17134
Charity Nofziger, Lihong Chen, Michael Anne Shane, Chari D. Smith, Kathleen K. Brown, and Bonnie Blazer-Yost. PPARγ agonists do not directly enhance basal or insulin-stimulated Na+ transport via the epithelial Na+ channel. Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology. (2005). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17127
Bonnie Blazer-Yost and Charity Nofziger. Phosphoinositide lipid second messengers: new paradigms for transepithelial signal transduction. Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology. (2005). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17125
Bonnie Blazer-Yost, Aaron T. West, Jamie Stack, Kerrie Peck, Thomas F. Lahr, and Michael Gekle. Effect of the mycotoxin, ochratoxin A, on hormone-stimulated ion transport in a cultured cell model of the renal principal cell. Pflügers Archiv. (2005). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17124
Aaron West and Bonnie Blazer-Yost. Modulation of basal and peptide hormone-stimulated Na transport by membrane cholesterol content in the A6 epithelial cell line. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. (2005). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17126
Bonnie Blazer-Yost and Charity Nofziger. THE ROLE OF THE PHOSPHOINOSITIDE PATHWAY IN HORMONAL REGULATION OF THE EPITHELIAL SODIUM CHANNEL. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. (2004). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17122
Thomas F. Lahr, Rae D. Record, Diane K. Hoover, Cynthia L. Hughes, and Bonnie Blazer-Yost. Characterization of the ion transport responses to ADH in the MDCK-C7 cell line. Pflugers Archiv: European Journal of Physiology. (2000). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17121
Sandy I. Helman, Xuehong Liu, Kieron Baldwin, Bonnie Blazer-Yost, and Willem J. Els. Time-dependent stimulation by aldosterone of blocker-sensitive ENaCs in A6 epithelia. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology. (1998). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17063
Rae D. Record, Larry L. Froelich, Chris J. Vlahos, and Bonnie Blazer-Yost. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation is required for insulin-stimulated sodium transport in A6 cells. The American Journal of Physiology. (1998). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17066
Bonnie L.Blazer-Yost, Rae D. Record, and Hans Oberleithner. Characterization of hormone-stimulated Na+ transport in a high-resistance clone of the MDCK cell line. Pflugers Archiv: European Journal of Physiology. (1996). https://hdl.handle.net/1805/17018