How does a protein called VWF keep hearts healthy?

Von Willebrand factor controls heart function through Angiopoietin-2

Professor Anna Randi and her colleagues at Imperial College London are studying how a protein called von Willebrand factor (VWF) is important for heart health. Very small blood vessels, called capillaries, form over two thirds of the heart. These essential tiny blood vessels are lined by specialised cells called endothelial cells. These important cells control what molecules are exchanged between blood and heart muscle by maintaining a tight barrier. They also produce molecules that are essential for heart health, but we currently know little about this. In this project, Professor Randi will study how a protein produced by endothelial cells called VWF, can regulate heart function in mice. Professor Randi has recently discovered that VWF prevents the production of another protein called angiopoietin-2. Too much angiopoietin-2 can make capillaries leaky and cause hearts to function incorrectly. She will study heart capillary leakiness and heart function in mice deficient in VWF, and investigate if blocking angiopoietin-2 can improve these factors. By improving our knowledge about the role of VWF, this research could improve the treatment of patients with a severe deficiency of VWF (von Willebrand disease), and could pave the way for future studies into heart and circulatory disease.