EXC 1003 C3 - Bone Marrow-Derived Cells in Atherosclerosis

Basic data for this project

Description

Bone marrow-derived cells are increasingly appreciated for their capacity to contribute to organ and tissue homeostasis and remodelling. Circulating cells leaving the vasculature to infiltrate tissues produce cytokines, chemokines and proteases, allowing them to orchestrate cell movement and proliferation and to modulate the extracellular milieu. Prominent examples of dysregulated bone marrow-derived cells include macrophages in atherosclerosis, and the destructive but also pro-regenerative action of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages in infarcted tissues, clinical scenarios that represent major biomedical challenges. The complex and dynamic interplay between bone marrow-derived cells within atherosclerotic plaques or in ischemic tissues after an infarct (heart, brain) will be examined using high resolution microscopic techniques such as 2-photon microscopy merged with a powerful range of well-established whole-body imaging modalities (PET, SPECT, CT, MRI). Combining genetic labelling with injectable labelled imaging probes such as MMP inhibitors, caspase ligands and integrin-specific probes, some of which are already developed or specifically designed in CiM groups, allows imaging-based studies of bone marrow-derived cells in animals and patients on a multiscale level (nanometre to centimetre). Collectively, these studies will lead to a better understanding of the impact of bone marrow-derived cells in atherosclerosis and post-infarct tissues, thus representing an exceptional basis for translation into clinical diagnostics and monitoring of treatment but also of individual risks.