Heart & Vascular Disease

Vascular biology

Professor Gamble's team is focussed towards identifying the genes that are essential to angiogenesis (the process of new blood vessel growth from the pre-existing vasculature) and the signals that control their functions. This, hopefully, will identify novel molecules that can be developed as drug targets.

The team is also investigating the molecular basis for endothelial cell ageing in order to develop intervention strategies, and have identified a protein essential for endothelial cell survival which is involved in the induction of senescence. Levels of this protein are increased by factors linked to turmour growth, cardiovascular disase, and can be found in the vasculature of some tumours and in regions of atherosclerosis.