Identifying molecular targets to prevent obesity-induced cardiovascular diseases

(University of Houston) In the early stages of obesity, cells located in the inner layer of the arteries become dysfunctional which can lead to heart disease and death. A University of Houston researcher has received a $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to observe how those endothelial cells lose their protective function and why they become more susceptible to injury by obesity-related damaging factors.