VEGF-A in vascular disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Alternative splicing of VEGF-A in Diseases of the Vasculature
IRAS ID
344854
Contact name
Winfried Amoaku
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 8 months, 2 days
Research summary
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a type of cardiovascular disease that causes restricted blood flow to parts of the body (other than the brain and the heart). It usually affects the legs, but can also occur in the arms. In PAD, blood vessels become narrowed or blocked due to build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries. In other cardiovascular diseases, arteries may develop new collateral vessels to restore blood circulation. However, this process is impaired in PAD. Moreover, obese and diabetic have increased risk of PAD and develop a more severe disease phenotype. This restricted blood flow leads to severe leg pain during walking, chest pain, and in the most severe cases may lead to leg imputation. The lack of healthy blood vessel growth occurs in part because white blood cells produce the wrong sort of protein, called VEGF-A165b, which stops blood vessels from re-growing. In a previous study, we analysed blood from four groups of participants: those with peripheral arterial disease, those with diabetes, those with both PAD and diabetes, and subjects with neither. We discovered that the levels of VEGF-A165b were raised in PAD compared with diabetics without PAD but that there was substantial variability depending on the other vascular diseases that were present in these patients (e.g. proliferative or non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy). We now need to expand these patient groups to be able to determine the mechanisms through which these are acting and the other components of vascular diseases that contribute. Blood samples will be analysed in the laboratory to examine the white blood cells using several laboratory experimental techniques. The white blood cells obtained from the donors with vascular disease and other individuals will be analysed for the expression of RNA and protein and the levels will be compared.
REC name
London - Dulwich Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/PR/0208
Date of REC Opinion
17 Apr 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion