Grant: Operating Grant

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), an aberrant expansion of the largest blood vessel in the body, is a major cause of sudden death in the elderly population. This project seeks to understand the role of COX-2 and mPGES-1 proteins in the development of aortic aneurysms. Drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors such as Celebrex, Vioxx and Bextra were excellent for pain and inflammation control; unfortunately they also cause an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Understanding the role of COX-2 and mPGES-1 in the AAA disease process, will aid the development of new drugs in the future to achieve similar pain and inflammation reduction without the cardiac risks. Currently there is no known treatment or prevention for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Our goals are to know more about the process of AAA formation and to find a possible therapy to manage the disease.