Mission
Myeloid Cells in Vascular Inflammation and Therapy
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder of large arteries. Following initial endothelial dysfunction, leukocytes start to infiltrate the arterial vessel wall contributing to lumen narrowing and ultimately to plaque rupture clinically evident as myocardial infarction or stroke. Bone marrow- and spleen-derived myeloid cells such as monocytes and neutrophils are crucially involved in atherogenesis, atheroprogression, and atherothrombosis. Our group focuses on recruitment of monocyte subsets and neutrophils to large arteries and on the investigation of pro-atherogenic mechanisms promoted by these cell types.
The lab of Vascular Immune Therapy is headed by Prof. Dr.Dr. Oliver Söhnlein.
Current themes:
Mechanisms of hypercholesterolemia-induced changes in leukocyte homeostasis
Functional responses of neutrophils in atherosclerosis
Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) during early processes of atherosclerosis
Mechanisms underlying neutrophil-mediated monocyte recruitment in atherosclerosis