Can we repair damaged endothelial cells?

The role of the endothelial cell differentiation-related LAF4IR in vascular repair (Mr Mazdak Ehteramyan)

Supervised by Dr Lingfang Zeng, a PhD student will work out how we can turn ‘master’ cells within blood vessel walls into lining cells, to repair damaged blood vessels. Endothelial cells lining the inner surface of blood vessels form a single layer of cells called the endothelium, which controls exchange of materials between blood and tissues. When endothelial cells become damaged this can lead to the development of vessel diseases. Some ‘master’ or progenitor cells exist in the blood vessel wall, which can be turned into new endothelial cells that could repair the damaged endothelium. But these cells can also become other types of cells, such as smooth muscle cells. If this happens, these smooth muscle cells can cause the vessel wall to thicken, leading to disease. Dr Zeng’s group has found a new gene called LAF4IR which is expressed in progenitor cells when blood vessels become injured. They believe this gene may help these master cells become endothelial cells and repair the damaged endothelium. In this project, the student will work out why LAF4IR is expressed in blood vessel injury, what molecules are responsible and how LAF4IR helps master progenitor cells turn into endothelial cells to repair the damage. This research will unveil if altering LAF4IR expression could be a new way to prevent or treat blood vessel disease.