Chronic inflammatory diseases are diseases that occur when immune cells and responses to the substances that they produce [eg lipids, cytokines] are activated and persist inappropriately. Research shows that problems in the chemical pathways that turn off inflammation can make a person more likely to develop a chronic inflammatory disease. Certain chemicals made inside the body such as Lipoxin A4 are involved in turning off inflammation. An example of chronic inflammatory diseases are complications of diabetes such as accelerated build-up of plaque inside arteries, known as atherosclerosis. Our research aims to see if a synthetic lipoxin can be used in diabetes to stop the accelerated atherosclerosis or excess fibrous connective tissue build-up in their arteries. We will assess this by examining the effect of the synthetic lipoxin on diabetic and non-diabetic mouse aortic tissue. We will also examine the effect of the synthetic lipoxin on human carotid artery plaque tissue that has been taken out of the body.
It is anticipated that the synthetic lipoxin may ultimately be used as a novel therapeutic in diabetic patients with evidence of accelerated atherosclerosis.
