Changing blood and bone marrow cells to lower artery inflammation
PROJECT 1: Modulating blood cell heterogeneity to reduce cardiovascular inflammation
This research seeks to change certain blood and bone marrow cells to reduce inflammation in people with or at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11269203 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study how specific blood and bone marrow cells grow into dominant clones that promote artery inflammation. They will compare these cell clones under different atherogenic conditions and examine how bone marrow stroma and nervous-system signals influence that process. The team will try to modify epigenetic marks (chemical tags that control cell behavior) to see if shifting those marks reduces inflammatory activity. The aim is to find ways to interrupt the biological systems that let harmful cell clones drive atherosclerosis.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or who are at high risk for it (for example, coronary artery disease, prior heart attack, high cholesterol, or multiple risk factors) would be the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: People without atherosclerosis or whose cardiovascular issues are unrelated to inflammatory or clonal blood-cell processes may not see direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new therapies that prevent or slow atherosclerosis by changing harmful blood-cell behavior.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows blood and bone marrow stem/progenitor cells can drive inflammation in atherosclerosis, but actively reprogramming epigenetic features to alter disease is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Scadden, David T — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Scadden, David T
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.