Atherosclerotic plaque affects 42% of adults without heart disease.
Researchers from the University of Bristol have uncovered a new disease-causing mechanism that could help treat the progression of arteriosclerosis.
The new treatment, IMSET, is being developed by researchers at Bristol Medical School Translational Health Sciences (THS) and is funded through beLAB1407, one of Evotec’s global portfolio of BRIDGE partnerships.
Affecting 42% of adults without heart disease, atherosclerosis is a buildup of atheromatous plaque (fatty deposits) in the arteries that can lead to heart attacks, strokes and peripheral artery disease.
Investigating how immune cells in the blood contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque in arteries, the researchers found that these cells exist in different forms, with certain types promoting plaque development.
The discovery allowed the researchers to identify a specific gene target, called IMSET, “which is a central regulator of their behaviour… (this) will enable us to develop therapies that target this novel non-coding RNA and test their use in patients with heart disease,” explained Jason Johnson, professor of cardiovascular pathology at Bristol Medical School (THS).
Researchers aim to develop a new treatment with beLAB1407 that will hopefully help patients who have survived a heart attack or stroke, reducing one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease.
More than seven million people in the UK have cardiovascular disease, which includes conditions affecting the heart and circulatory system, such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and vascular dementia.
Previously, in May, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Awarded A total of £35 million will be provided to nine universities across the UK to strengthen research into cardiovascular disease, including Imperial College London, King’s College London, the Universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Oxford and University College London.
Over the next five years, funding provided through the BHF’s Research Excellence Awards scheme will support a research environment that fosters collaboration, inclusion and innovation, accelerating breakthroughs that save lives.
