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Cardiovascular Biology Research Program

Jana Barlic, Ph.D. Assistant Member, Cardiovascular Biology Research Program

Research Interests
Within 10 years, cardiovascular disease will be the major cause of mortality worldwide owing to its rapidly increasing prevalence in developing countries, Eastern Europe and the Western world. A process underlying cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke, is atherosclerosis. It is hypothesized that hypertension, as well as accumulation and oxidation of low density lipoprotein in the intima, are major factors initiating atherosclerotic vascular inflammation, which is characterized by continuous and persistent recruitment of leukocytes into the vascular sub-endothelium.

Important promoters of leukocyte influx into the inflamed arterial wall are chemotactic cytokines (chemokines), which stimulate leukocyte recruitment into atherosclerotic lesions through interactions with chemokine receptors. In addition, it is thought that chemokines and chemokine receptors may also coordinate communication between inflammatory cellular components in peripheral blood and cellular components of the arterial wall, thereby regulating leukocyte capture that promotes atherosclerosis. In contrast to these two paradigms, chemokines were demonstrated to protect against atherosclerosis. However, mechanisms of chemokine-dependent atheroprotection have not been identified or characterized. Nevertheless, although it is currently thought that chemokines and their receptors facilitate the resolution of vascular inflammation by mobilizing the pathologic components of the plaque, we still do not understand why the process of plaque regression is severely impaired in atherosclerosis.

We will investigate chemokine-dependent mechanisms of atheroprotection and atheroregression, because we maintain that results of these studies will further our knowledge of the comprehensive contributions of chemokines in atherosclerosis and may suggest new opportunities for prevention of or therapy for this complex disease.

Joined OMRF Scientific Staff in 2008.

Mailing Address
Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, MS 45
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
825 N.E. 13th Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104

Contact Information
Phone: (405) 271-6480
Fax: (405) 271-3137
E-mail: Jana-Barlic@omrf.org