TRP X41 Digital spatial monocyte expression profiling in varicose veins

Funding period: 01.08.2019 – 31.07.2020

Project Summary

Varicose veins are a common, DVT-associated, inflammatory vascular disease of unknown origin. Monocytes dominate the inflammatory vein wall infiltrate but their role in the disease course has not been addressed. On the basis of preliminary work, we assume that monocytes are causally involved in CVI pathology but develop different activities in different tissue areas.

Digital spatial profiling (DSP) is an exciting new technique that resolves proteins and mRNA from individual cells in discrete areas of tissues allowing identifying subpopulations and local expression differences. Based on existing RNA-Seq data, we intend to use this new method to test the RNA profile of individual monocytes in different areas of the varicose vein walls in order to identify possible subpopulations and thus gain new insights into vascular monocyte function.

Principal Investigator