Artery disease research

Contact person

Lars Melholt Rasmussen, Professor, Consultant, DMSc
lars.melholt.rasmussen@rsyd.dk; https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/dk/persons

Research aim

We aim at obtaining novel molecular insights in arterial diseases, i.e. atherosclerosis, aneurysms and diabetic angiopathy. Our ambition is to identify pathophysiological mechanisms with potentials to point out new biomarkers and molecular treatment targets. 
We work translationally and transdisciplinary with researchers at clinical and basic departments at OUH, SDU and elsewhere. We take advantage of our large human arterial biobank, which together with the use of OMICS-technologies allow us to gain knowledge difficult to obtain elsewhere. 

Project examples

• The role of basement membrane proteins in the development of arterial diseases
• Somatic mutations in cells of the vasculature: are mutations present? what are putative consequences? 
• The use of explorative OMICS on well-defined arterial samples to create arterial molecular atlases.
• The influence of adipose tissue on atherogenesis

Available cohorts and infrastructures

Odense Artery Biobank

Our Artery Research is an integrated part of OUH's Elite Research Centres, "CIMA - Centre for Individualized Medicine in Arterial Diseases"

Collaborators, postdocs and PhD-students

• Professor Lars MelholtRasmussen, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
• Ass. Professor Lasse Bach Steffensen, CVR, IMM, SDU
• Professor Jes Lindholt, Vascular Surgery, Dept. T, OUH
• Ass. Professor Maria Bloksgaard, CVR, IMM, SDU
• Ass. Professor Jane Stubbe, CVR, IMM, SDU
• Ass. Professor Daniel Ketelhuth, CVR, IMM, SDU
• Ass. Professor Martin Overgaard, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
• Ass. Professor Hans Christian Beck, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
• Ass. Professor Søren Feddersen, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
• Professor Mads Thomassen, KGA, OUH
• Scientific Coordinator Pia Søndergaard Jensen, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
• PhD student  Jannik Hjortshøj Larsen, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
• PhD student Anne-Sofie Faarvang Thorsen, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
• Professor Guo-Ping Shi, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
• Professor Michael Jonathan Davies, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Panum Institute, Copenhagen University
  
  

Ongoing funding

• Part of CIMA, a research centre at OUH/SDU (grant total DKK 28 mil.), 2013-2022
• Independent Research Fund Denmark DKK 0.8 mil. grant to artery research, 2019-2021
• Novo Nordisk Foundation DKK 1.2 mil.  grant to artery research, 2018-2021 
• Novo Nordisk Foundation DKK 2.9 mil. DKK grant to artery research, 2020-2023
• Per Henriksen Foundation DKK 0.2 mil. grant to artery research, 2019
• Danish Diabetes Academy, postdoc grant (Lasse Bach Steffensen) 2019–2021
• Danish Diabetes Academy, PhD study grant (Anne-Sofie Faarvang), 2019-2022
• OUH, SDU and DDA, PhD study grant (Jannik Hjortshøj Larsen), 2021-2023

Publication examples

• Basement membrane proteins in various arterial beds from individuals with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus: a proteome study. 
  Steffensen LB, Iversen XES, Hansen RS, Jensen PS, Thorsen AF, Lindholt JS, Riber LPS, Beck HC, Rasmussen LM. 
  Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2021 Sep 8;20(1):182. PMID: 34496837.

• Basement membrane collagen IV deficiency promotes abdominal aortic aneurysm formation.
  Steffensen LB, Stubbe J, Lindholt JS, Beck HC, Overgaard M, Bloksgaard M, Genovese F, Holm Nielsen S, Tha MLT, Bang-Moeller SK, Hong Lin MKT, Larsen JH, Hansen DR, Jones GT, Bown MJ, Karsdal MA, Rasmussen LM.
  Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 18;11(1):12903

• Hyperlipidemia does not affect development of elastase-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm in mice.
  Mulorz J, Spin JM, Beck HC, Tha Thi ML, Wagenhäuser MU, Rasmussen LM, Lindholt JS, Tsao PSC, Steffensen LB.
  Atherosclerosis. 2020 Oct;311:73-83

• Arterial tissue transcriptional profiles associate with tissue remodeling and cardiovascular phenotype in children with end-stage kidney disease.
  Freise C, Schaefer B, Bartosova M, Bayazit A, Bauer U, Pickardt T, Berger F, Rasmussen LM, Jensen PS, Laube G, Mencarelli F, Arbeiter K, Büscher R, Habbig S, Möller K, Kirchner M, Schaefer F, Schmitt CP, Querfeld U.
  Sci Rep. 2019 Jul 16;9(1):10316.

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Growth Is Associated With High Concentrations of Plasma Proteins in the Intraluminal Thrombus and Diseased Arterial Tissue. Behr Andersen C, Lindholt JS, Urbonavicius S, Halekoh U, Jensen PS, Stubbe J, Rasmussen LM, Beck HC
  Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2018 Sep;38(9):2254-2267

• No detectable differential microRNA expression between non-atherosclerotic arteries of type 2 diabetic patients (treated or untreated with metformin) and non-diabetic patients. Steffensen LB, Feddersen S, Preil SR, Rasmussen LM.
  Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2018 May 17;17(1):72