Using molecular ultrasound imaging to diagnose and treat thrombotic and inflammatory diseases

Cardiovascular regenerative medicine is an exciting new approach that promises to change the current care of million people worldwide. The main objective of this project is to study the molecular mechanisms that result in promoting regeneration in damaged tissues. We will employ various experimental approaches to focus on different regenerative strategies, including a broad spectrum of techniques such as stem cell-derived exosomes. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), principally ischaemic heart disease including myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke, are the leading cause of global mortality and a major contributor to disability. The underlying cause of most CVDs is the formation of lipid-laden atherosclerotic plaques in medium and large arteries, such as those that supply the heart and brain with blood. Unstable or “vulnerable” atherosclerotic plaques are prone to spontaneous rupture, causing acute thrombosis (blood clots), occlusion, and MI. The degree of myocardial injury and cardio-myocyte death depends on the size of the infarct area, the duration of ischaemia and the efficiency of reperfusion after MI. Loss of a large number of cardiomyocytes subsequently causes pathological remodelling and heart failure where the normal tissue is replaced by fibrous scar tissue. Regenerative therapies aim to treat MI by inducing cardio-myocyte proliferation and promoting cardiac regeneration. The main objective of this project is to study the molecular mechanisms that result in promoting regeneration in damaged tissues. We will employ various experimental approaches to focus on different regenerative strategies including a broad spectrum of techniques such as stem cell derived exosomes and nanoparticles. Technologies/disease models to learn/apply: cell culture, flow cytometry, molecular biology, PCR, Western blots, animal models and statistical methods.