How CEBPβ affects artery-lining damage and plaque buildup
Official title: Role of CEBPb in flow-dependent endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11286615 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how a molecule called CEBPβ changes how blood flow harms the cells that line arteries and contributes to atherosclerosis, using mouse models and human artery cells in the lab.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | March 15, 2023 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $719,786 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL168383-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11286615 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or those at high risk for artery plaque could be future beneficiaries of treatments arising from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who need immediate clinical interventions or whose disease is driven by factors unrelated to endothelial cell reprogramming may not directly benefit from this laboratory-focused work.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how disturbed blood flow triggers harmful changes in the cells that line arteries by using a mouse model and human aortic endothelial cells grown in the lab. They will apply single-cell RNA and epigenetic profiling to see how CEBPβ and its LIP protein form alter cell behavior and gene regulation. The team will test what happens when LIP levels are increased to understand how endothelial cells become more inflammatory or take on other cell-type features that promote plaque. The findings aim to reveal molecular steps that could be targeted to prevent or reverse the harmful reprogramming of artery-lining cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify a new molecular target (CEBPβ/LIP) for therapies to reduce artery inflammation and slow or prevent plaque growth.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show that inflammation and endothelial-to-mesenchymal changes contribute to atherosclerosis, but targeting CEBPβ and its LIP isoform is a newer idea with limited prior testing.
Where this research is happening
-
Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jo, Hanjoong — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Jo, Hanjoong
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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.