Attempting to slow down or prevent the development of atherosclerosis

Investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying PKCε-mediated modulation of NF-κB signalling to selectively promote vascular endothelial homeostasis

Understanding how atherosclerosis develops and progresses may reveal new ways to prevent or treat the condition in the future. Cells lining the inner wall of our blood vessels are called endothelial cells, or ‘the endothelium’, and are important to maintain blood flow and prevent blood clots developing. The endothelium of people with high cholesterol or diabetes doesn’t work very well. This is the first step in atherosclerosis development - where the inner walls of arteries get ‘furred up’, slowly blocking arteries and causing heart attacks and strokes. Professor Justin Mason and his team at Imperial College London believe that discovering new drugs to improve endothelial function in patients most at risk may slow down or prevent atherosclerosis. They have discovered that an enzyme called protein kinase C epsilon switches on genes which help to protect the endothelium against injury and keep it working. They have now been awarded a grant from the BHF to study this enzyme in more detail and find out if boosting its activity with drugs can protect against atherosclerosis and heart attacks. They already know that protein kinase C epsilon switches on the protective genes without triggering inflammatory genes, but they’ll now work out exactly how this happens. Unravelling this process may reveal targets for new drugs to improve endothelial function and prevent or slow down atherosclerosis, which could ultimately reduce the chances of heart attacks and strokes in people most at risk.