Atypical role of erythroid cells in atherosclerosis (A10)

• Subject Area: Cardiology, Angiology
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 238187445

Surprisingly, red blood cells (RBCs), which are by far the most abundant cellular component in the circulation, remain poorly studied in atherosclerosis. In this project, we will investigate the role of a chemokine receptor called ACKR1 that is expressed on RBCs, in atherosclerosis. We will employ a newly developed mouse model carrying the orthologue to a human sub-Saharan African ACKR1 polymorphism to determine how erythroid ACKR1 affects inflammation and atherosclerosis development. This may help developing new therapies specifically tailored to tackle a hitherto underappreciated role of RBCs in cardiovascular disease.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1123: Atherosclerosis: Mechanisms and Networks of Novel Therapeutic Targets
• Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Project Heads: Privatdozent Dr. Johan Duchene, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Christian Weber