Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine are discovering important information about strokes, heart attacks, cardiovascular disease and other deadly risks by investigating the biological glues our bodies produce to protect us from deadly dangers. I found the answer.

Researchers led by Dr. Mette Sibelek wanted to better understand the factors that influence the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is characterized by the accumulation of fatty plaques within blood vessels. When these plaques form, our bodies build a fibrous cap over them to prevent them from sloughing off and causing heart attacks and strokes.

Sibelek and his team believe that the scaffolding our bodies build on top of these plaques contains important clues that could improve our understanding of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death around the world. I thought there might be one. By taking a smart approach, scientists have gained important new insights that could advance the development of life-saving treatments.

“We have combined 20 years of discoveries in human genetics with the unique resource of smooth muscle cells, a critical component of arteries where plaques develop,” said UVA Center for Public Health Genomics and Department of Biomedical Engineering. Civelek said. “We discovered that our genetic makeup influences the way smooth muscle cells secrete proteins that give plaques strength and prevent them from rupturing and causing heart attacks and strokes.”

Important cell adhesive

To build a protective scaffold over the potentially deadly plaque, smooth muscle cells lining blood vessels create a protein-rich, fibrous, glue-like substance known as the “extracellular matrix.” secretes. Civelek and his team measured these and related proteins in smooth muscle cells from 123 heart transplant donors. Scientists were then essentially able to work backwards to identify the genes that make those proteins.

This allows scientists to identify 20 locations on the chromosome where genes that affect the production of important proteins are located. They can also pinpoint naturally occurring genetic mutations that put certain people at higher risk of atherosclerosis, and identify the types of proteins that contribute to cardiovascular risk. UVA researchers say the new insights could help doctors identify patients who are most at risk of having plaque sloughed off, causing a heart attack or stroke.

The findings also shed important light on why the actions of smooth muscle cells can be beneficial or harmful in some cases. That information will be a huge asset to researchers trying to develop new treatments for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, Sibelek said.

“We have identified one protein, LTBP1, that appears to play an important role in plaque stability,” he said. “We continue to study whether this protein could be a useful therapeutic target and hope to soon translate our findings into patient care.”

Research results will be published in a magazine Atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology.