Research: Endothelial dysfunction

About our research

The endothelium is a layer of cells that lines the blood vessels. It is key to optimal blood vessel function and cardiovascular health.

Endothelial dysfunction is an early event in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. It is triggered by various factors including hyperglycaemia, oxidised low-density lipoprotein, advanced glycation end-products, inflammation and high blood pressure.

Vascular physiology

Investigating the function of blood vessels and how they constrict and relax is key to understanding cardiovascular health and disease. We use state of the art techniques to mimic disease states, such as high blood pressure, to understand how poor vessel function can be improved.

We work in collaboration with clinicians and scientists from different specialist fields to develop drugs, based on natural products to work out ways in which they can be taken up into cells more easily, using nanotechnology. Our aim is to improve blood flow into the heart and other organs, and therefore prevent future heart attacks and strokes.

Academic papers

• Diaz, M, Degens, H, Vanhees, L, Austin, C and Azzawi, M (2016) The effects of resveratrol on aging vessels Experimental Gerontology Dec 1;85, pp 41-47 

• Diaz, M, Avila, A, Degens, H, Coeckelberghs, E, Vanhees, L, Cornelissen, V and Azzawi, M (2020) Acute resveratrol supplementation in coronary artery disease: towards patient stratification Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal Feb;54(1), pp 14-19

• Leong, Hon S et al (2019) On the issue of transparency and reproducibility in nanomedicine Nature Nanotechnology 14,7, pp 629-635

Endothelial progenitor cells and vascular repair

Another key element to understanding endothelial dysfunction is to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning activation of the endothelium. This links repair mechanisms, inflammation and endothelial microvesicle function in diseases that exhibit an increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk (Lupus, carotid artery disease, diabetes and kidney disease).

Cells in the blood that usually promote blood vessel health and wound healing are known to be defective in patients with CVD and in particular, diabetes. This can lead to an increased risk of a heart attack or lower limb blood vessel blockage, resulting in foot ulcers and possibly amputation.

New drugs are needed urgently to combat these problems and improve patient health. Our aim is to identify the defect in the repair mechanism of these cells in order to develop new therapeutic targets to enhance their repair capacity for improved blood vessel health. We have shown distinct functional differences in circulating endothelial progenitor cells in diabetes than can be improved by the addition of a novel glycomimetic, with the potential for translation to the clinic.

Academic papers

• Edwards, N, Langford-Smith, AWW, Wilkinson, FL and Alexander, MY (2018) Endothelial Progenitor Cells: New Targets for Therapeutics for Inflammatory Conditions With High Cardiovascular Risk. Frontiers in Medicine (Lausanne) Jul 10;5:200

• Langford-Smith, AWW, Hasan, A, Weston, R, Edwards, N, Jones, AM, Boulton, AJM, Bowling, FL, Rashid, ST, Wilkinson, FL and Alexander, MY (2019) Diabetic endothelial colony forming cells have the potential for restoration with glycomimetics. Scientific Reports, Feb 19;9(1):2309