Understanding why people with diabetes are at increased risk of heart disease

Endothelial NOX2 NADPH oxidase as a key driver of adverse cardiac remodelling associated with diabetes

Dr David Grieve and his team are working out why high blood glucose levels in people with diabetes can lead to heart and circulatory disease, particularly heart failure. Scientists believe high blood glucose leads to structural changes in the hearts of people with diabetes – this is called cardiac remodelling. These changes include the build-up of a protein called collagen and changes to the small blood vessels, which puts more stress on the heart. Dr Grieve has found that enzymes called NADPH oxidases may be important in cardiac remodelling. One of these enzymes, called Nox2, which is found in endothelial cells that line the blood vessels, could be a key player in this process. In this project, Dr Grieve will study the precise role that Nox2 plays in cardiac remodelling and the development of heart disease associated with diabetes. He will find out if Nox2 promotes cardiac remodelling, if it affects how endothelial cells work, and if it affects the levels of inflammation in the heart. This research, in mice, will reveal more about Nox2’s role in heart disease development in diabetes. If successful, targeting Nox2 could be a new way to treat people with diabetes and heart failure.