Endothelial Development From Pluripotent Stem Cells As A Means To Study Pathology In Pulmonary Artery Hypertension
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$613,311.00
Summary
Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) is a fatal disease primarily affecting young adults. It is caused by a defect in cells that form the vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs. We will use stem cells made from the skin of PAH patients to examine why the blood vessel cells from these patients fail to function normally.
Improving Microvascular Dysfunction In Falciparum Malaria
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$132,743.00
Summary
Additional treatments are needed to reduce global malaria mortality. In hospitalised patients with falciparum malaria we will evaluate new methods of assessing blood vessel dysfunction in malaria. We will use these methods to conduct a trial of the safety and efficacy of sodium nitrite, a widely available drug with the potential to treat malaria by increasing nitric oxide and improving blood flow. Our results will inform the design of a larger study of sodium nitrite to treat severe malaria.
Targeting Microvascular Dysfunction In Severe Malaria
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$871,923.00
Summary
In severe malaria blood vessels cannot make enough protective nitric oxide (NO). The gel-like lining of blood vessels (glycocalyx) is needed to produce NO, but this is damaged in some severe infections. We will test whether glycocalyx is lost in malaria and how it affects blood vessel NO and function in human volunteer infections and in patients with and without severe malaria. We will test whether a salt nitrite, can be used to safely increase NO and blood vessel function in severe malaria.
The health benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables can in part be attributed to their high content of polyphenolic compounds such as flavonoids. These substances can improve functioning of blood vessels and have the potential to reduce the risk of heart disease. This project will examine one of the most common flavonoids in the diet to try and understand how it works and better understand the protective effects.
Oxidative Stress, Heparan Sulfates And Endothelial Dysfunction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,390.00
Summary
During vascular disease endothelial cells that line the blood lumen are dysfunctional. Growing evidence indicates a role for a protein that the immune system normally uses to destroy infectious agents. This protein accumulates in diseased blood vessels next to endothelial cells. This project will study how this protein causes endothelial dysfunction and test the ability of novel agents to remove this protein from diseased blood vessels to improve endothelial function.