Spatial profiling of Lipoprotein(a) and plaque vulnerability

In progress

30/05/2023

Scotland

Aetiology

Awarded amount: £249,773

Grant scheme: NET

Institution: University of Edinburgh

Principle Investigator: Prof Ruth Andrew

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Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the single biggest killers in the UK and worldwide.

In CHD, fat builds up the blood vessels forming so called “plaques”. If these plaques break up or burst, they can cause blood clots, leading to a heart attack or stroke. It has been found that a sticky molecule called Lipoprotein a (Lp(a)) affects how likely a plaque is to break up.

This project will use novel imaging techniques to look at this molecule’s role within plaques. This will increase understanding of why plaques break up the way they do and provide potential targets for treatment.