Inflammatory and molecular mechanisms in atherosclerosis and related metabolic disorders

Today, cardiovascular diseases and related metabolic disorders such as diabetes, the metabolic disorders and fatty liver disorders, are the killer number one world wide. Despite new treatment modalities these disorders are still major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide.

While the concept that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease is no longer controversial, the regulation of these inflammatory processes as well as their pathogenic consequences is not fully understood. Moreover, although the participation of inflammation in atherogenesis has become widely recognized, the identification and characterization of the different actors and their relative importance are not fulfilled. Also, atherosclerosis is one of several inflammatory disorders characterized by nonresolving inflammation, but the pathways and cells that contribute to the maintenance of this persistent inflammation are far from clear.
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Our research group works in the cross-section between molecular biology, biochemistry and clinical cardiovascular medicine with particular focus on inflammation and lipids and their bidirectional interaction in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis sand related metabolic disorder. Our ambitious goal is to delineate novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers, possibly leading to new treatment modalities as well as prognostic markers in these disorders.

The group uses different research approaches ranging from analyses of blood and tissue samples from patients with cardiovascular disorders to studies in gene modified mice using advanced cellular and molecular biology. The group consists of people with different educational background like medical doctors, nutritionists, biochemists and engineers. Such multidisciplinary personal composition is one of strength of our research group.

Some important subproject

• The role of NAMPT/visfatin in atherosclerosis and metabolic disorders.
• The role of chemokines in acute coronary syndromes.
• The role of homeostatic chemokines in atherogenesis.
• Metabolic effects of IL-10.
• Platelet-mediated inflammation
• Inflammatory and metabolic effect of LIGHT
• The role of TNF superfamily related molecules in acute coronary syndromes.