BHF Oxbridge Centre of Regenerative Medicine

Atherosclerosis causes death by heart attack and stroke, and has vast socio-economic consequences. Targeting arterial cells to stabilise disease represents unexplored territory, that would complement current risk factor-reducing approaches. In particular, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are enriched for coronary artery disease GWAS signals and generate the majority of cells in atherosclerotic lesions. The Jorgensen Team aims to identify mechanisms regulating VSMCs that can be leveraged for disease treatment and prevention.