Using gene and tissue maps to understand artery plaque disease
Official title: Integration of spatial transcriptomics, genetics, and histomorphology for causal inference in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11127552 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses detailed maps of genes and tissue structure from human artery plaques to find what makes some plaques cause heart attacks or strokes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $665,187 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL171595-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11127552 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with atherosclerotic plaque—such as those with carotid, coronary, or peripheral artery plaques or who are being followed for ASCVD—would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without atherosclerosis or with unrelated heart conditions are unlikely to see direct benefits from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze human artery plaque samples and high-resolution tissue images to map which cells and genes are present and where they sit in the plaque. They will combine spatial transcriptomics (gene activity mapped back to tissue), genetic data, and advanced machine-learning algorithms that read histology images to identify features linked with unstable plaques that lead to major heart events. The team will compare samples labeled as 'unstable' or 'stable' from carotid, coronary, and peripheral arteries and relate those features to patients' clinical outcomes. They will also use mouse models to test ideas from the human data and refine which molecular changes might cause plaque rupture.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new blood tests, imaging markers, or drug targets to better predict and prevent heart attacks and strokes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous genetics and single-cell studies in atherosclerosis have produced promising leads, but combining spatial gene maps, machine-learning histology, and causal genetics is a relatively new and exploratory approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Reilly, Muredach P — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Reilly, Muredach P
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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.