Extracellular vesicle transport in the circulation – a missing link between adipocytes and accelerated vascular dysfunction
Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease because being overweight or obese can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes. In this project, Dr Philip James and colleagues will examine how fat cells can predispose to cardiovascular disease by causing damage to blood vessels. Their aim is to understand how microscopic sacs of fluid, called vesicles, which are released from fat cells, can communicate with and damage the lining of blood vessels. Earlier research in mice and people showed that fat cell vesicles circulate in the blood and affect the ability of blood vessels to open. Their research will identify fat cell vesicles in the blood and find out what components damage blood vessels and how this process occurs. This group’s research could help determine whether treatments can be developed to prevent the damage caused by fat cell vesicles and could one day become a way to reduce the cardiovascular health risks associated with being obese or overweight.
Project details
| Grant amount | £241,514 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 05 January 2015 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | PG/14/51/30686 |
| Status | Complete |
