Cell Migration And InflammationFebruary 23, 2005Chronic inflammation comprises a vast array of diseases that affect millions of people worldwide. Chronic inflammatory diseases include asthma, arthritis, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, autoimmune diseases and allergies, to name but a few. A common theme to all of the above diseases is that the inflammatory response, originally aimed at recognizing and eliminating foreign "pathogens" or damaging agents, overreacts to them and causes tissue damage that can be detrimental to the patient. How to limit such overreaction without compromising the efficiency of the inflammatory response is a phenomenal challenge faced by scientists and clinicians working in this field. Our current therapeutic tools, in particular anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids, fall short of accomplishing such a task as they can decrease the patient's natural defence mechanisms and produce a host of undesirable side effects.
The scientific goal of the MAIN Network of Excellence is to identify and characterize the molecular mechanisms underlying chronic inflammatory responses, with emphasis on a crucial step in such responses, namely the transmigration of leukocytes ("white blood cells") from the bloodstream into inflamed tissues and their local activation by inflammatory substances and pathogens. To achieve this goal, MAIN has gathered over 150 researchers and graduate students from 13 research institutes and 2 biotechnology companies of five EU member states as well as Switzerland and Israel. MAIN will be co-funded by the EU with a 10 MEUR grant over a four year period. The international dimension of MAIN is further emphasized by the strong connection existing between MAIN scientists and the US Cell Migration Consortium (CMC), whose goal is to explore the complex mechanisms underlying cell migration in embryonic development, wound healing and cancer. MAIN and CMC will share information and technology platforms and will develop a coordinated agenda of scientific events in order to communicate their scientific achievements to a wider scientific audience as well as to the general public. MAIN - Network of Excellence | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Atherosclerosis Current Events and Atherosclerosis News Articles Estrogen therapy could be dangerous for women with existing heart risk Hormone therapy could accentuate certain pre-existing heart disease risk factors and a heart health evaluation should become the norm when considering estrogen replacement, new research suggests. Researchers identify how binge drinking may drive heart disease As the holidays arrive, a group of researchers has identified the precise mechanisms by which binge drinking contributes to clogs in arteries that lead to heart attack and stroke, according to a study published today in the journal Atherosclerosis. A scientific breakthrough on the control of the bad cholesterol A study performed by the team of Dr. Nabil G. Seidah, Director of the Biochemical Neuroendocrinology Research Unit at the IRCM, shows for the very first time that the degradation by PCSK9 of the LDLR receptor Bad cholesterol inhibits the breakdown of peripheral fat he so called bad cholesterol (LDL) inhibits the breakdown of fat in cells of peripheral deposits, according to a study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet. The discovery reveals a novel function of LDL as a regulator of fat turnover besides its well-established detrimental effects in promoting atherosclerosis. Vitamin C lowers levels of heart disease biomarker, finds study, adds to debate of health benefits A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, adds to the evidence that vitamin C supplements can lower concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), a central biomarker of inflammation that has been shown to be a powerful predictor of heart disease and diabetes. Genetics for personalized coronary heart disease treatment Identifying a single, common variation in a person's genetic information improves prediction of his or her risk of a heart attack or other heart disease events and thus, choice of the best treatment accordingly, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Low risk for heart attack? Could an ultrasound hold the answer? By adding the results of an imaging technique to the traditional risk factors for coronary heart disease, doctors at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found they were able to improve prediction of heart attacks in people previously considered low risk. Low-dose aspirin does not appear to reduce risk of CV events in patients with diabetes Low-dose aspirin as primary prevention did not appear to significantly reduce the risk of a combined end point of coronary, cerebrovascular and peripheral vascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study in JAMA. Friend or foe? How the body's clot-busting system speeds up atherosclerosis Sometimes it's hard to tell friends from foes, biologically speaking. Naturally produced in the body, urokinase plasminogen activator and plasminogen interact to break up blood clots and recruit clean-up cells to clear away debris related to inflammation. In fact, urokinase manufactured as a drug effectively clears clogged arteries by generating clot-busting plasmin from blood-derived plasminogen. Mounting evidence shows health benefits of grape polyphenols A growing body of research data suggests that consuming foods rich in polyphenols from grapes, including red wine, helps reduce the risk of heart disease, according to a review article in the November issue of Nutrition Research. More Atherosclerosis Current Events and Atherosclerosis News Articles |
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