Detail

Keywords

Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Cardiovascular Diseases; Neutrophils

Research group(s)

• Arge Brostjan
  Research Area: Vascular Disease; interplay of endothelial cells, platelets and leukocytes in pro-inflammatory activation, coagulation and angiogenesis
  Members:
  Anna Sotir
  Johannes Klopf
  Wolf Eilenberg
  Nahla Ibrahim

Research interests

My current research focuses on understanding the role of inflammation in cardiovascular diseases, with a particular emphasis on the generation and impact of oxidation-specific epitopes (OSEs) on abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). These molecular modifications are known to drive inflammatory processes. While natural IgM antibodies against OSEs have been shown to offer protective effects in atherosclerosis, their role in AAA—a condition sharing many pathological similarities with atherosclerosis—remains poorly understood. AAA is characterized by the progressive weakening and dilatation of the abdominal aorta, posing a significant risk of rupture and sudden death. Despite its severity, no approved drug treatments exist, leaving surgical intervention as the sole option. This project aims to elucidate the contribution of OSE-specific IgM antibodies to AAA development and explore their therapeutic potential using mouse models. Additionally, we are investigating the presence and role of OSE-specific IgM in clinical samples from AAA patients. This work is conducted as part of an FWF-funded collaboration project (P37183-B) with Taras Afonyushkin at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna.

Selected publications

1. Ibrahim, N. et al. (2024) ‘Human monocyte subsets differ in their capacity to form extracellular traps’, Cell Death Discovery, 10(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-024-02034-y.
2. Ibrahim, N. et al. (2024) ‘Reducing Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Progression by Blocking Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Depends on Thrombus Formation’, JACC: Basic to Translational Science, 9(3), pp. 342–360. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacbts.2023.11.003.
3. Ibrahim, N. et al. (2022) ‘Drug Treatment by Central Venous Catheter in a Mouse Model of Angiotensin II Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Monitoring by 3D Ultrasound’, Journal of Visualized Experiments [Preprint], (186). Available at: https://doi.org/10.3791/64124.
4. Ibrahim, N. et al. (2022) ‘3D Ultrasound Measurements Are Highly Sensitive to Monitor Formation and Progression of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Mouse Models’, Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 9. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2022.944180.
5. Ibrahim, N. et al. (2024) ‘Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Cardiovascular and Aortic Disease: A Narrative Review on Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targeting’, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(7), p. 3983. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25073983.