Understanding how small arteries in the heart respond to stress

Coronary arteriole function in health and disease

Professor Kim Dora at the University of Oxford aims to better understand how small arteries in the heart respond to stress and how this response changes in coronary heart disease. Small arteries in the heart dilate and contract to keep up with the energy demands of the heart muscle. This process involves the coordination and communication of endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells within the small arteries. Professor Kim A Dora is particularly interested in the coordinated dilation of small arteries through the cycling of charged ions such as potassium. This form of dilation is especially important as it can spread into and along the wall of small arteries rapidly increasing blood flow. The endothelial cells that line the wall of these small arteries are pivotal in coordinating this dilation, and are known to be damaged in people who have diabetes and have had heart attacks. The group will define this response for the first time in arteries taken from people’s hearts.