Cardiovascular
Natural history of coronary atherosclerosis. Using a technology developed in our laboratory, optical frequency-domain imaging, we are testing the vulnerable plaque hypothesis and estigating the prevalence, incidence and natural history of coronary plaques.
PDT for detection and treatment of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque. We are interested in targeting photosensitizers to various components of atherosclerotic plaque, with the aim of detecting highly inflamed plaque that is vulnerable to rupture and using intravascular light to modify it to increase stability.
Mice with gene-targeted deletion of anti-apoptotic gene IEX-1 develop hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy that may be caused by deregulation of ROS homeostasis in the vasculature, as IEX-1 plays a key role in modulation of ROS production in mitochondria.
