How cholesterol in blood vessel cell membranes drives inflammation
Membrane cholesterol and vascular inflammation
This work looks at how cholesterol in the outer layer of blood vessel cells changes signals that lead to artery inflammation linked to heart attacks and strokes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11247134 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team will study how cholesterol moves into and out of the outer membrane of endothelial (blood vessel) cells and how those changes affect inflammatory responses. They will use lab-grown human cells and animal models to find which cell-surface proteins, including ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, bind cholesterol directly. Chemical biology tools will be used to identify other cholesterol-responsive proteins and pathways that control membrane cholesterol levels. The goal is to reveal molecular steps that could become targets for new treatments to reduce vascular inflammation.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, or other cardiovascular disease could be candidates for future related studies or sample donation, though this grant mainly funds preclinical lab work.
Not a fit: People without cholesterol-related or vascular disease are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to reduce artery inflammation and help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work links high cholesterol to vascular inflammation, but the idea that membrane cholesterol directly binds inflammation-related surface proteins is relatively new and less tested.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- University of California Los Angeles — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tontonoz, Peter J — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Tontonoz, Peter J
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.