Working out how the ERG protein keeps blood vessels healthy

Endothelial transcriptional networks in the control of angiogenesis and tissue homeostasis (renewal)  

ERG is a protein that controls how several genes are expressed within the endothelial cells that line the inside of blood vessels, enabling them to survive and function properly. Professor Anna Randi at Imperial College London is studying ERG to work out how it helps to keep blood vessels healthy. BHF funding has already enabled Professor Randi to define ERG’s essential role in several processes, such as blood vessel growth and stability. Loss of ERG from cells causes tissue damage in the heart, and it may predispose a person to heart disease. Therefore, keeping ERG working in blood vessels could benefit people with heart disease. In this project, Professor Randi will find out how ERG controls endothelial cells and promotes blood vessel stability to help to prevent the heart damage after the blood supply is restricted. She also wants to understand whether ERG function keeps the heart as well as the blood vessels healthy. She will test if boosting ERG function helps stable new blood vessels to grow, and whether she can identify drugs that can boost ERG’s activity. This research may reveal new ways to help blood vessels form after a heart attack or in conditions where they are damaged. It will also extend our understanding of the role of ERG in heart health.