FOR 501:  Vascular Homeostasis: Molecular Mechanisms and Cellular Mediators

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: from 2003 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5470098

Cardiovascular diseases caused 51% of all deaths in Europe in 2001. Better prevention and treatments have halved age-specific incidence, but the ageing population and adverse trends in obesity and diabetes threaten these improvements. The disturbance of vessel homeostasis and specifically of the functional integrity of the endothelium plays a key role in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the formation of new blood vessels is necessary to recover ischaemic organ function and reduce heart failure. Therefore, the Research Unit seeks to assemble the necessary critical mass to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms, which regulate vessel homeostasis. Based on these findings, new therapeutic options should be developed. Our research armoury spans cell biology, genomics, proteomics, molecular biology and integrative pathophysiology in man. Specifically, the Research Unit focuses on the three major research areas:-- regulation of endothelial cell function and signalling by reactive oxygen species and cytochrom P450 products;-- the elucidation of novel functions of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), the non-neuronal nicotinergic receptor and caveolin in the vascular system;-- therapeutic neovascularization either via conventional or cell-based strategies to recover ischaemic organ function. Thereby, the role of VEGF will be elucidated as a factor to reduce brain injury after stroke. Moreover, progenitor cell apoptosis and differentiation will be studied and the use of cell base-therapies will be investigated in first clinical trials in patients with myocardial infarction or heart failure.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• International Connection: Italy

Projects

• Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE): defining its role as a signal transduction molecule (Applicant Fleming, Ph.D., Ingrid )
• Caveolin-associated proteins and endothelial signalling (Applicant Müller-Esterl, Werner )
• Funktionelle Konsequenzen der Expression von Cytochrom P450 Epoxygenasen im Endothel (Applicant Fißlthaler, Beate )
• General costs relating the administration of the Research Unit (Applicant Fleming, Ph.D., Ingrid )
• Molecular mechanisms underlying apoptosis and differentiation of circulating progenitor cells (Applicant Dimmeler, Stefanie )
• Regulation der Angiogenese und Vaskulogenese über nicht-neuronale, nikotinerge Acetylcholin-Rezeptoren (Applicant Heeschen, Christopher )
• Rolle der NADPH-Oxidase-abhängigen Sauerstoffradikalbildung in der vaskulären Signaltransduktion: Physiologie und pathophysiologische Konsequenzen (Applicant Brandes, Ralf P. )
• Rolle von "vascular endothelial growth factor" bei der Regulation der postischämischen Angiogenese und des "homings" von Vorläuferzellen in das Gehirn (Applicant Plate, Karlheinz )
• Therapeutic neovascularisation by autologous progenitor cell transplantation in patients with coronary artery disease (Applicant Walter, Dirk Henning )
• Zentrale Aufgaben (Applicant Dimmeler, Stefanie )

• Spokesperson: Professorin Ingrid Fleming, Ph.D.