FOR 809:  Chemokines and Adhesion Molecules in Cardiovascular Pathogenesis

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: from 2007 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 29385330

It will be the goal of the Research Unit to learn more about the molecular causes and pathophysiological consequences of atherosclerosis, and to thereby identify possible therapeutic targets. Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease, afflicting the inner layers of the arterial wall, for instance in coronary artery disease. This often leads to chronic occlusion or to rupture of unstable plaques and acute thrombosis. Risk factors such as lipid disorders, hypertension or smoking can promote inflammatory processes in the arterial wall, and thereby precipitate myocardial infarction and stroke.
Seven project groups from five institutes and clinical departments of the University Hospital Aachen together with the partner University of Maastricht investigate the signal molecules (chemokines) and binding receptors (adhesion molecules), which govern the recruitment and immigration of inflammatory and immune cells into the vascular wall. This will involve a broad spectrum of techniques such as transgenic mouse models of atherosclerosis, intravital microscopy and complex models of myocardial infarction but also structural biology and biophysical methods.
A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying all stages of atherosclerosis will enable specifically tailored options for intervention and translation into clinical therapy and prevention.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• International Connection: Israel

Projects

• Analyse der Struktur-Funktions-Beziehung der Wechselwirkung thrombozytärer Chemokine in der Atherogenese (Applicant von Hundelshausen, Philipp )
• Charakterisierung alternativer LFA-1 Liganden bei entzündlicher und atherogener Zellrekrutierung (Applicant Koenen, Ph.D., Rory R. )
• Chemokine und vaskuläre Adhäsionsmoleküle bei Ischämie / Reperfusion und Myokardinfarkt: Rolle von erythrozytärem NO (Applicant Merx, Marc )
• Die Bedeutung von löslichen und transmembranen Varianten der Chemokine CX3CL1 und CXCL16 bei vaskulären Entzündungsreaktionen (Applicant Ludwig, Andreas )
• Differenzielle Funktion von monozytärer Subpopulationen in kardiometabolischen Erkrankungen (Applicant Hristov, Mihail )
• Entwicklung und Erprobung multimodaler molekularer Proben für die in vivo Charakterisierung der Stabilität atherosklerotischer Plaques (Applicant Kiessling, Fabian )
• Function of co-stimulatory pathways in atheroslerosis (Applicant Lutgens, Esther )
• Regulation der CXCL12 Expression bei der stammzellvermittelten vaskulären Wundheilung durch Lysophospatidsäure und hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1a (Applicant Schober, Andreas )
• Rolle der CXCL12 Rezeptoren CXCR4 und CXCR7 in der Atherosklerose und vaskulären Zellhomöostase (Applicant Weber, Christian )
• Rolle von Alarminen aus neutrophilen Granulozyten in der Atherosklerose (Applicant Söhnlein, Oliver )
• Strukturelle und funktionelle Charakterisierung der MIF/Chemokinrezeptor-Achse bei Atherosklerose und Myokardinfarkt (Applicant Bernhagen, Jürgen )
• Vaskuläre dendritische Zellen in der Atherosklerose (Applicant Zernecke-Madsen, Alma )
• Zentralprojekt (Applicant Weber, Christian )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Christian Weber