How high blood pressure can change immune cells and speed artery plaque
Official title: Hypertension-associated Trained Immunity in Myeloid Cells is a Determinant of Atherosclerosis
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11324941 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether episodes of high blood pressure cause long-lasting changes in immune cells that make atherosclerosis worse for people with hypertension and heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $746,512 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL174961-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324941 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The work is most relevant to adults with long-standing hypertension and existing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or prior heart attacks/strokes.
✕Less likely to help
People without high blood pressure or without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
From my point of view, the team is studying how high blood pressure can 'train' bone marrow immune precursors so their mature cells stay primed to fuel artery inflammation. They use mice given angiotensin II to create hypertension, transfer hematopoietic stem cells into mice prone to plaque, and track whether plaque grows faster afterward. Researchers examine persistent changes in immune cell metabolism and epigenetic marks, including chromatin accessibility with ATAC-seq, that last even after blood pressure returns to normal. The work aims to identify immune mechanisms that could be stopped so people don't keep having events despite controlled cholesterol and blood pressure.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If true, this could point to new treatments that block harmful immune 'memory' and lower the remaining risk of heart attacks and strokes despite good blood pressure and cholesterol control.
How similar studies have gone: Related research has shown trained immunity in infections and metabolic settings, but applying this concept specifically to hypertension-driven atherosclerosis is a newer and less-tested idea.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Doran, Amanda C — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Doran, Amanda C
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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.