Structure, Composition and Dynamics of Lipoproteins: How to Get New Clinical Markers for Atherosclerosis

About the project 

Atherosclerosis is the main killer in the western world. Current praxis in the clinics is the usage of total lipoproteins as markers for atherosclerosis, even though deaths occur in people with normal lipoprotein blood profiles. Each lipoprotein fraction presents a wide variability in both composition and structure that needs to be thoroughly assessed for more accurate use of these particles as biomarkers in the diagnostics of atherosclerosis.

We will investigate the relationship between lipoprotein structure, composition and dynamics at model blood vessel surfaces, and correlate these to the risk of developing atherosclerosis. Mapping of the lipoprotein structure will be done by small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering while the compositional analysis will be done by proteomics and lipidomics.

Despite the importance of charting out their lipid dynamics (lipoproteins carry fats in the body), only a few studies to date have addressed this point. This is due to the system’s complexity and a lack of methodologies available for structural/functional studies of such complex biological assemblies. We have already developed methodologies to enable studies of lipid dynamics between lipoproteins and model cellular membranes that now will be applied to systematically assess the role of the lipoprotein subtype. This will advance the understanding of the initial molecular events leading to atherosclerosis, and enable more specific clinical markers and more accurate early detection tools.