HDAC2 is a Critical Regulator of Vascular Endothelial Function

PROJECT NARRATIVE High levels of cholesterol and related circulating lipids lead to the progression of coronary artery and other atherosclerotic vascular diseases by reducing the production of protective molecules released by the lining of the blood vessels (the endothelium), and by increasing the availability of substances that are damaging. We have identified an enzyme that is made in the endothelium that prevents injury to the lining of blood vessels and that may slow or prevent atherosclerosis. In this proposal we will study how this enzyme has its protective effects on blood vessels and determine whether understanding this enzyme may yield new treatments for blood vessel diseases.