Blood vessel cell health in people with diabetes and heart disease
Endothelial Cell Health Across the Spectrum of Cardiometabolic Disease
Researchers will collect blood vessel lining cells from adults with diabetes or other cardiometabolic risks to learn how these conditions damage vessels and speed heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11112480 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will collect fresh endothelial cells (the cells that line blood vessels) from about 2,000 adults participating in the Framingham Heart Study. In one part, researchers will compare 450 people with and without type 2 diabetes and other cardiometabolic traits to look for signs of organelle stress and changes in nitric oxide signaling. In a larger set of about 900 participants they will perform RNA sequencing to identify genes and pathways in endothelial cells linked to vessel health and systemic metabolism. The team will combine these cellular findings with participants' clinical data to prioritize targets that might prevent or slow cardiovascular disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults—particularly those with type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, or other cardiometabolic risk factors, and especially participants in the Framingham Heart Study—are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children, people without cardiometabolic risk factors, or patients with unrelated illnesses are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal early blood vessel changes and new targets to prevent or treat heart disease in people with diabetes and obesity.
How similar studies have performed: Smaller laboratory and clinical studies have linked mitochondrial and ER stress to vascular dysfunction, but collecting fresh endothelial cells from thousands of people with large-scale RNA sequencing is a novel and larger-scale approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University Medical Campus — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hamburg, Naomi Miriam — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Hamburg, Naomi Miriam
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.