Research

Endothelium and cardiovascular diseases

Clinical importance and main research focus

Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of mortality in the industrial countries. Arteriosclerosis is considered to play a key role in this process, because the progression of this disease increases the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. The endothelial cells form the inner layer of the blood vessels and play an important in the development and progression of arteriosclerosis.

Local differences in hemodynamic forces acting by the flowing blood on the cells of the vessel wall have been postulated as a putative mechanism for the localization of arteriosclerotic plaques. One major focus of our research is therefore the identification of molecular changes in response to different hemodynamic forces in human endothelial cells. A second research focus is the investigation of putative proarteriosclerotic mechanisms like increased oxidative stress or augmented uptake of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) by the vasoactive peptides endothelin-1, angiotensin II and aldosterone in endothelial cells. In addition, we are interested in the mechanisms of arteriovenous differentiation of endothelial cells. We extend our in vitro studies subsequently in experimental and clinical studies in vivo and analyze the putative antiarteriosclerotic potential of pharmacological intervention in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system or lipid-lowering drugs.

We try to answer the following questions:

1. What is the role of endothelial dysfunction in the development of cardiovascular diseases?
2. How affect risk factors endothelial function?
   Is the increased formation of reactive oxygen species and oxidized lipoproteins involved in these processes?
   How differentiate endothelial cells into an arterial or venous phenotype?
   Can medications improve vascular function and reduce arteriosclerosis?

Curriculum Vitae

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