Phenotypic switching of vascular cells in disease.

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A study to understand the phenotypic change of smooth muscle cells in disease.

• IRAS ID

  142332

• Contact name

  Fiona Wilkinson

• Contact email

  F.Wilkinson@mmu.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Manchester Metropolitan University

• Research summary

  Atherosclerosis is a disease that causes narrowing of the arteries which carry blood around the body and supply organs with nutrients. In atherosclerosis, the artery wall becomes thickened with fatty deposits, inflammatory cells and proteins forming ‘plaques’. If plaques rupture, they can cause a blockage and prevent blood from reaching the brain or heart muscle resulting in a major cardiovascular event such as a stroke or heart attack. Plaque formation is a complex process and is thought to be enhanced by various well-known risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, elevated cholesterol and other diseases, for example, diabetes.
  
  During the disease process, some cells in the artery wall begin to change their characteristics and contribute to plaque development. These altered cells can become similar to cells that are involved in bone formation and may cause the vessel wall to become calcified. It is still unknown what causes these cells to change their characteristics and whether they stabilise or destabilise the plaque.

  Our aim is to find out what is driving cells in the vessel wall to change their characteristics and their role in plaque development and stability so we can develop new drugs to combat vessel wall disease. We will also take a blood sample and analyse it for biochemical and cellular markers involved in inflammation, calcification and vessel damage. We will obtain vessels and some muscle tissue that are normally discarded after vascular surgery and examine the composition of the plaque under the microscope. We will also grow cells from the vessel in the laboratory and analyse how they behave under disease conditions.

• REC name

  North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  14/NW/1062

• Date of REC Opinion

  30 Jun 2014

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion