The role of interleukin 1 in the build-up of fatty plaques in blood vessels

Mechanisms and consequences of in vivo targeting of IL-1 to the endothelium

A team led by Dr Heather Wilson at the University of Sheffield is interested in the role of immune cells in the circulatory system in the onset of heart and circulatory disease. Coronary heart disease occurs because of a fatty build-up, known as an atherosclerotic plaque, in the blood vessel wall. Plaques also contain cells from the immune system, which initially invade the injured vessel wall to try to repair it. But it is becoming increasingly clear that signals from the body’s immune system also play an important role in plaque formation and plaque stability. The researchers are particularly interested in a particular type of immune cell called a phagocyte, which releases an important molecule called interleukin 1 (IL-1). IL-1 is thought to act on the blood vessel to promote plaque development. The researchers will study the mechanisms by which IL-1 is released from the immune cells and targets the vessel wall. The team will study this process in zebrafish by visualising the IL-1 using a biological label which causes it to show up under special microscopes. Understanding this could help the research community to eventually develop treatments to lessen the harmful effects of IL-1 on the vessel wall.