Jason T. Maynes

Research Synopsis

The research in Dr. Maynes’s lab focuses on four main areas that attempt to combine my clinical training in pediatrics and anesthesia with my doctorate training in biophysics: (1) molecular cardiology and cardiomyocyte function, (2) protein biophysics, structure and drug design, (3) high-content imaging, image analysis and the use of stem-cell derived tissue for disease models and (4) mechanisms of anesthetic action.

They study how proteins involved in mechanical force transduction in the heart are altered during heart failure, and how these proteins can be utilized as therapeutic targets. His research group has shown how the protein Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) interacts with key calcium regulatory proteins and is involved in heart regeneration and repair. In collaboration, they developed cyclic peptide therapeutics that activate ILK, and illustrated what that these compounds can reduce/eliminate the adverse effects from cardiotoxic medications (primarily cancer chemotherapeutics) (Nat. Comm 2014). In concert with the development of new cardiac therapies, they have designed new methods for the pre-clinical testing of pharmaceuticals for cardiac activity (either for benefit, or for toxicity testing). Their methods, based on Chaos Analysis of stem-cell derived cardiomyocytes, is being investigated for integration into the FDA drug approval process.

Dr. Maynes has delineated the pathologic molecular mechanisms that cause pulmonary venous stenosis (PVS) after left atrial surgery. Using patient samples and cell-based assays, they discovered the first pharmacologic therapy for PVS, now in early stage multi-center clinical trials (JCTVS 2013, JCTVS 2014).

Other projects in the lab include illustrating how anesthetic drugs induce protein misfolding and affect the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, investigating how anesthetic drug change epigenetic profiles and alter cancer growth and spread, and the structural biology involved in mitochondrial fission/fusion. 

Recent Publications

1. Balsamo F, Li B, Chusilp S, Lee D, Biouss G, Lee C, Maynes JT, Pierro A (2024) Argon inhalation attenuates systemic inflammation and rescues lung architecture during experimental neonatal sepsis.
2. Desai K, Sumie M, Yang A, Englesakis M, Maynes JT, Aoyama K (2024) Is there any impact of association between labor neuraxial analgesia and autism spectrum disorders in offspring at the population level? 38(4):576-579
3. Niimi N, Yang A, Sumie M, Hayes J, Maynes JT, Aoyama K (2024) Understanding three standard study designs for randomized controlled trials 38(4):421-424
4. Chin K, Jiang H, Steinberg BE, Goldenberg NM, Desjardins JF, Kabir G, Liu E, Vanama R, Baker AJ, Deschamps A, Simpson JA, Maynes JT, Vinogradov SA, Connelly KA, Mazer CD, Hare GMT (2024) Bilateral nephrectomy impairs cardiovascular function and cerebral perfusion in a rat model of acute hemodilutional anemia 136(5):1245-1259
5. Lee TY, Hogarth K, Szabo E, Maynes J (2024) Cardiac Sodium Channel Nav1.5 Arg222Gln Variant Induces a Sex-Specific Arrhythmia and Alters Mitochondrial Function 39(S1):1054
6. Sittampalam, S. et al. Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Assays: Are They More Predictive of In Vivo Efficacy than 2D Monolayer Cell-Based Assays? Assay Drug Dev Technol 13, 254–261 (2015)
7. Zhu, J. et al. Losartan ameliorates ‘upstream’ pulmonary vein vasculopathy in a piglet model of pulmonary vein stenosis. J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. (2014). doi:10.1016/j.jtcvs.2014.07.050
8. Traister, A. et al. Integrin-linked kinase mediates force transduction in cardiomyocytes by modulating SERCA2a/PLN function. Nat Commun 5, 4533 (2014).

Appointments

Director of Research, Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
Senior Scientist, Division of Molecular Structure and Function, SickKids Research Institute
Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto
Scientific Board, SPARC BioCentre for Drug Discovery

Honours and Awards

Top Young Investigator

Society for Pediatric Anesthesia

Robert E. Creighton Award for Teaching
 

University of Toronto

Department of Surgery Innovation Award
Description:

University of Toronto

Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research Fellowship

Courses

Course Number: Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics
Course Name: Resident, Fellow
Course Number: Biochemistry in Medicine
Course Name: Course Coordinator, Biochemistry Graduate Course
Course Number: Clinical Biophysics
Course Name: STF 111, medical students
Course Number: Clinical Metabolism
Course Name: MNU 111, medical students