General Research Description

We have shown, using a mouse model of diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis (Renard et al. 2004; Johansson et al. 2008) that type 1 diabetes stimulates both initiation of lesions of atherosclerosis and progression to advanced lesions.  Our working hypothesis is that diabetes stimulates lesion initiation and progression by increasing macrophage recruitment and arterial inflammation.  

Our work is, or has been, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, Seattle Foundation, the Royalty Research Fund at the University of Washington, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. 

Current and Recent Members of the Bornfeldt Lab.

	Karin Bornfeldt, PhD Professor Research Interests:   Cellular and molecular mechanisms of diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis.  People with diabetes have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications caused by atherosclerosis, such as myocardial infarction, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.  We use animal models and isolated vascular cells to investigate the processes that mediate diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis.  Projects range from in vivo studies to intracellular transduction studies.  For specific examples of the types of projects we work on, please see the descriptions of student research below.  Click here for publication list.
	Michelle Averill, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow Research interests:  The role of inflammation and S100 proteins in diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis.
	Bardia Askari, PhD Acting Instructor Research interests:  Effects of long-chain fatty acids on vascular and kidney cells.  We have shown that oleate enhances the mitogenic effects of insulin-like growth factor I (Askari et. al 2002a) in arterial smooth muscle cells.  Current projects involve studies on long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases and effects of oleate in smooth muscle cells (Askari et al. 2007) and mesangial cells.
	Shelley Barnhart, BS Research Scientist 1 Research interests:  Molecular biology, macrophage function, S100 proteins.
	Deidre Golej, PhC Graduate Student (Molecular and Cellular Biology Program) Research Interests:  The role of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases in  smooth muscle cells.  Techniques include overexpression of enzymes using retroviral vectors, siRNA, QT-PCR, HPLC, lipid metabolism analyses, and functional studies of human arterial smooth muscle cells.
	Fredrik Johansson, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow Research Interests:  Effects of diabetes on lesion progression.  We have developed a transgenic mouse model of diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis - the RIP-LCMV-GP;LDLR-deficient mouse (Renard et al. 2004).  In this model, the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) glycoprotein (GP) is expressed under control of the rat insulin promoter (RIP).  The significance of the expressed GP is that diabetes can be induced at will by a single injection of LCMV, which leads to an autoimmune process very similar to that in humans developing type 1 diabetes.  The mice are also LDL receptor (LDLR)-deficient, so that atherosclerosis can be studied. Projects included studies of the effects of diabetes with and without associated lipid abnormalities on progression of lesions to advanced plaques (Johansson et al. 2008).  Fredrik worked in the lab between 2003 and 2006, and is now at Biolipox AB, Stockholm, Sweden.
	Jenny Kanter, PhC Graduate Student (Pathology Program) Research Interests:  Effects of long-chain fatty acids and diabetes on primary mouse peritoneal macrophages and bone marrow-derived macrophages.  Techniques include isolation of primary macrophages, overexpression of enzymes using retroviral constructs, Cre-Lox mouse models, lipid metabolism analyses, visualization of lipid droplets in single cells, and proteomics.  Recent publications: Kanter et al. 2007.
	Farah Kramer, BS Research Scientist 2, Lab Manager Research Interests:  Developing and maintaining transgenic mouse models of diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis, immunohistological evaluation of atherosclerotic lesions.  Example of recent publication: MacDougall, Kramer et al. 2006.
	Xin Li, BS Graduate Student (Pathology Program) Research Interests:  Effects of long-chain fatty acids and diabetes on endothelial cells.  Techniques include isolation of primary mouse endothelial cells, overexpression of enzymes using retroviral constructs, Cre-Lox mouse models, investigation of ER stress responses by real-time PCR, and lipid metabolism analyses.
	Ngoc Nguyen Undergraduate Student Research Interests:  Genotyping and various projects in the lab.
	Xia (Clare) Shen, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow Research Interests:  Effects induced in human endothelial cells by increased acyl-CoA synthesis.  Techniques include real-time PCR, overexpression of enzymes using retroviral constructs, analysis of inflammatory mediators by FACS, cDNA arrays, and lipid metabolism studies. Recent publications: Shen & Bornfeldt 2007.
	Ricky Rualo Assistant Research Scientist Research Interests:  Mouse colony management, genotyping and various projects in the lab.
	Alex Croft Undergraduate Student Research Interests:  Genotyping and various projects in the lab.