Do neutrophil microparticles contribute to atherosclerosis?

How do neutrophil microparticles promote vascular inflammation?

Atherosclerosis is a disease that causes the large blood vessels in our bodies to clog up because fatty plaques develop in the walls of arteries. Dr Victoria Ridger from the University of Sheffield is investigating whether tiny particles released by white blood cells could be involved in atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic plaques often form where blood flow is turbulent, for instance at the branches of vessels. In addition to the accumulation of fat in the atherosclerotic plaque, white blood cells invade the plaque contributing to its formation. Dr Ridger is interested in a particular type of white blood cell called a neutrophil. This cell is important in normal inflammation and in defence against infection, and she believes that neutrophils may be involved in atherosclerosis too. These cells shed tiny particles, known as microparticles, from their surface and the researchers think that microparticles could help other immune cells get into the atherosclerotic plaque aggravating disease by causing inflammation in the plaque. In this PhD studentship, the student will make microparticles from neutrophils and add them to cells that line large blood vessels known as endothelial cells. They will then work out if disturbed blood flow changes the way the microparticles stick to the endothelial cells. The goal is to work out whether microparticles released from neutrophils increase inflammation in blood vessels and whether the way in which blood flows can affect this. Potentially the researchers could discover a new factor involved in atherosclerosis, which could lead to alternative treatments.