Role of endothelial fractalkine in angiogenesis and cardiac injury
Our immune system evolved to fight infection and promote wound healing after injury. During a heart attack, injury is caused to the heart muscle by a blocked blood vessel. Though there is no infection immune cells found in the blood respond to the injury in the same way as if there were an infection, and this can cause additional harm to the heart. By understanding the detailed biology underlying this immune reaction, researchers hope to find a way to prevent its damaging effects. In this project, Professor Arthur and her team aim to find out how a molecule called fractalkine contributes to this damaging immune response. The team believe fractalkine has an important role in recruiting immune cells into the heart after a heart attack. In this project, they will study how removing this molecule from the cells which line our blood vessels affects their behaviour, and whether this can reduce the inflammatory response and minimise damage to the heart. If they find that removing fractalkine in this way protects the heart from damage, it will open the door to finding drugs that can target fractalkine. This may be an important advance for preventing further damage to the heart in people who’ve had a heart attack.
Project details
| Grant amount | £154,167 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 18 February 2019 |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Reference | PG/18/32/33760 |
| Status | In Progress |
