Grant: Project Grant

Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) is the leading cause of death of both females and males in Canada. At diagnosis, patients' arteries are already injured by diseased cells. Although diseased cells can be eaten and removed by "janitor" cells, these janitor cells can lose their appetite when exposed to certain pro-inflammatory proteins as the disease progress. The goal of this project is to: 1) identify the pro-inflammatory proteins that paralyze the janitor cells, 2) understand how removal of diseased cells are inhibited by these proteins, and 3) determine whether current drug candidates can neutralize their harmful effects. We will use state-of-the-art imaging technology to apply a thorough "onsite inventory" of diseased arteries and determine what pro-inflammatory proteins control the janitor cells' appetite, map out how the interaction between diseased cells and janitor cells are changed by these proteins, and determine how these changes will affect patient outcomes with and without medication. This study will improve health outcomes of patients by better predicting the outcome of new drugs, and identifying new targets to reverse atherosclerosis.