How heart disease changes the bone marrow's support cells
PROJECT 2: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the stromal bone marrow niche
['FUNDING_P01'] · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · NIH-11269210
Researchers are looking at whether heart attacks and high blood pressure change bone marrow blood vessels and support cells so they make extra inflammatory white blood cells that speed up artery disease.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_P01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BOSTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11269210 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, the team uses animal models that mimic heart attack and high blood pressure to see how blood vessels and supporting cells in bone marrow respond. They tag cells that make VEGF and remove VEGF signaling in some mice to test whether stopping new bone marrow blood vessels lowers white blood cell overproduction and inflammation. Using advanced imaging and RNA sequencing, they track where inflammatory white blood cells come from and read the genes of cells in newly formed bone marrow niches. The group aims to link these bone marrow changes to faster worsening of atherosclerosis after a heart attack.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who recently had a heart attack, have uncontrolled high blood pressure, or have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease would be most relevant to this line of research.
Not a fit: People without cardiovascular disease or those seeking immediate clinical treatment should not expect direct benefit from this laboratory-focused work, since it primarily uses animal models to guide future therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to prevent bone marrow changes after a heart attack, reducing harmful inflammation and slowing progression of artery disease.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal work from this group showed that blocking post-heart-attack blood vessel growth in bone marrow reduced white blood cell increases and cardiovascular inflammation, but translating this into human treatments has not yet been done.
Where this research is happening
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
- MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL — BOSTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: NAHRENDORF, MATTHIAS — MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- Study coordinator: NAHRENDORF, MATTHIAS
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.
Conditions: Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease