Breakdown of tolerance to self drives atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
There is no virtual option for this seminar.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arterial walls characterized by accumulation of lipoproteins that are insufficiently cleared by phagocytes. Following the initiation of atherosclerosis, the pathological progression is accelerated by engagement of the adaptive immune system. Recently, several research groups reported that atherosclerosis triggers the breakdown of tolerance to self. This phenomenon was discovered by using single-cell RNA sequencing in conjunction with T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing. I will discuss the discovery papers, evaluate the supporting evidence, map out potential future work and discuss the clinical significance of this breakthrough. Rational approaches aimed at re-establishing immune tolerance may become game-changers in treating ASCVD and preventing its downstream sequelae including heart attacks and strokes.
Date: 21 September 2023, 11:00 (Thursday, -2nd week, Michaelmas 2023)
Venue: Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Headington OX3 7FY
Venue Details: Lecture Theatre
Speaker: Prof Klaus Ley (Augusta University)
Organising department: Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS)
Organisers: Doris Chan (Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology), Jo Silva (NDORMS)
Organiser contact email address: doris.chan@kennedy.ox.ac.uk
Host: Professor Claudia Monaco (Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3)
Part of: Kennedy Institute Seminars
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Doris Chan