Immune cell-lipid interaction, a mechanism of CKD-induced vascular complications (M07*)

• Subject Area: Clinical Immunology and Allergology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 322900939

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) display a massively increased cardiovascular risk compared to those without CKD, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. We observed that in CKD ApoA-I/HDL undergoes post-translational modifications, resulting in dysfunctional proinflammatory HDL, which directly activates intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) in mice. IELs were recently identified as important contributors for the development cardiovascular disease. By using spectral flow cytometry, single cell RNA sequencing and transgenic mouse models, we aim to prove the hypothesis that the interaction of modified-ApoA-1/HDL and IELs aggravate CKD-induced vascular complications like atherosclerosis. Targeting IELs might be a novel therapeutical approach for the treatment of patients with CKD and high cardiovascular risk.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 219: Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Complications in Chronic Kidney Disease
• Applicant Institution: Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen
• Project Heads: Dr. Florian Kahles; Dr. Emiel van der Vorst