Grant: Operating Grant

Atherosclerosis is one of the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality in Canada today. It is a multifactorial and complex disease, therefore understanding the pathogenesis and treatment involves study in many different areas. The main objective of my research is to study interactions between cells in the artery wall and the proteins in the matrix that surround them. The matrix proteins can stimulate growth and migration of the cells which contribute to thickening of the artery wall, and excessive accumulation of these proteins can also contribute to thickening. Ultimately, this could lead to occlusion of the arteries. We are currently studying the expression and function of one of these proteins, type VIII collagen, which is produced in abundance in atherosclerosis, but very little in the healthy artery. Our work involves screening atherosclerotic plaques from patients with atherosclerosis, mouse models and cell culture models of artery disease. We use genetic manipulations, imaging and molecular and biochemical techniques to study the behaviour of cells. Our methods allow us to move back and forth easily between the human disease, cells and animals. We are one of few labs in the world studying cell-matrix interactions in atherosclerosis, and the functions of the type VIII collagen protein, therefore our work is very novel and important to shed light on critical mechanisms involved in the development and complications of atherosclerosis, and will facilitate the development of new drugs to target the disease process.