Professor Martin Schwartz, Yale Cardiovascular Research Centre, USA
Tuesday 14th February, 1.00 p.m., Stacey Lecture Theatre 1
Atherosclerosis occurs at specific regions of arteries characterized by disturbances in blood flow patterns. Plaques form as a consequence of synergies between flow responses and systemic risk factors such as LDL cholesterol, high blood glucose, smoking, etc. Flow also governs physiological vessel remodeling that compensates for arterial restriction or blockage. My lab studies fundamental mechanisms of mechanotransduction by flow, how these flow responses are integrated to mediate inflammatory activation of the endothelium, how these events progress to atherosclerotic plaque, and how flow regulates vessel remodeling. I will present our latest data on the mechanisms of flow signaling, their role in atherosclerosis and vessel remodeling, and whether these pathways might provide new pharmacological targets for treatment.