How vascular smooth muscle cell death is involved in atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease

Regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis and cell senescence in atherosclerosis

BHF Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences Martin Bennett has been awarded a Programme Grant of nearly £1.8million over five years to look in detail at areas of ‘fatty’ plaque build-up (which may rupture and trigger a blood clot potentially causing a heart attack or stroke). He will look specifically at vascular smooth muscle cells, which line blood vessels. Normally, these cells die and are replaced by new cells. However, in plaque areas these cells simply die without being replaced. This process is thought to contribute even further to the disease process, leading to further damage and plaque build-up. Professor Bennett will look at the causes of this cell death. His team will build on clues of previous research that identified damage to the plaque cells’ DNA and mitochondria (tiny structures required to power each cell) may stop the normal replacement of the muscle cells. In mice, he will look at the molecular events that lead to the death of smooth muscle cells in diseased vessels, identifying the specific proteins responsible. Furthermore, he will look at the characteristics of the cells in human plaque samples and how they are damaged. This latest research programme could help identify new medicines that combat atherosclerosis by preventing damage to the DNA or mitochondria in cells caught up in a damaged vessel area.