Sex differences in aortic aneurysm and dissection risk and protection
Official title: Mechanisms of sex-biased risk and resiliency in aneurysm and dissection
Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-11159759 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how biological sex and sex hormones affect risk and protection for people with or at risk for aortic aneurysms and dissections using animal models and tissue analyses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 16, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $417,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL165471-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11159759 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with aortic aneurysm or dissection, especially those with Marfan syndrome or a family history, who are interested in contributing samples or participating in future sex-focused clinical research.
✕Less likely to help
People without aortic disease or risk factors, or those seeking immediate changes to their medical care, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this preclinical work.
What this research studies
If you have or are at risk for an aortic aneurysm or dissection, this work aims to explain why men and women often show different disease patterns and outcomes. Researchers will use a well-established mouse model of Marfan syndrome, perform surgical removal or replacement of sex hormones, and analyze aortic tissues with advanced proteomics to find molecular differences tied to sex and hormones. The team will compare effects of estrogen and progesterone with chromosomal sex to identify protective pathways in females and reasons some women still develop severe disease. Findings could point to new ways to prevent or personalize treatment based on sex.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal biological pathways that lead to new prevention or treatment approaches tailored by sex to reduce aneurysm and dissection risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal and clinical studies have shown sex hormones can influence blood vessel disease, but applying proteomics to define protective pathways in aneurysm is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Parker, Sarah J — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Parker, Sarah J
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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.