Grant: Master's Award - PA: RPP - Newfoundland and Labrador

Cardiovascular disease is an increasing health concern in Canada. High blood pressure, a common component of many cardiovascular diseases, is associated with dysfunctional blood vessels. Some drugs which would normally be used to treat patients with cardiovascular diseases are less effective because of blood vessel dysfunction in people with high blood pressure. However, our research has discovered novel molecules which target a protein called PAR2; these molecules are still effective in blood vessels during high blood pressure. It is known that PAR2 communicates messages between cells in blood vessels using calcium. How these calcium signals are communicated under conditions of high blood pressure is not understood. We intend to measure PAR2 communication signals at a cell level with state of the art microscope techniques in an experimental model of high blood pressure. By expanding our knowledge in this area of cell signalling during high blood pressure, we anticipate to uncover new strategies to counter blood vessel dysfunction in patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases.