The role of immunity in cardiovascular disease

The immune system is integral to the cardiovascular health and disease. Targeting inflammation ameliorates cardiovascular outcomes. Atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of cardiovascular disease, is conceptualised as a lipid-driven inflammation. Recent single cell atlases from human atherosclerotic lesions has identified that – contrary to traditional beliefs – T cells outnumber macrophages by 2:1. Several effector and tissue memory T cells subsets are identifiable alongside unconventional T cells. New tools have improved our ability to not only define distinct subsets of tissue-associated T cells, but also to address their functions in situ in human tissues. These T cell subsets include both “conventional” memory T cells, some with specific tissue-associated memory profiles, as well as unconventional T cell subsets such as MAIT cells. The latter are involved in a range of inflammatory and infectious diseases, as well as in tissue homeostasis. We can address in detail the phenotype and function of the T cell infiltrate, as well as the receptor specificity of the conventional and unconventional T cell populations.

Overall, this project aims to investigate the biology and regulation of vascular lymphocytes and how they function in health and disease. Applying single cell technologies and functional studies we will study the relevance and prevalence of lymphoid cells in human and experimental atherosclerosis. The results will contribute to our understanding of the role of vascular immune cells in cardiovascular health and disease and it will explore the fundamental molecular mechanisms regulating vascular tissue immune cell responses. It will also open the door to specifically target the cells of relevance to provide new approaches to treat and prevent cardiovascular disease. 

KEYWORDS

Immunology, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, lymphocytes, immunity.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

The student will benefit from the availability of in-house state-of-the-art single cell technologies including transcriptomics and proteomics approaches using dissociative methods but also spatial methodologies including spatial transcriptomics and CyTOF Hyperion for tissue imaging in human and mouse models of atherogenesis.

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Provine NM, Klenerman P. MAIT Cells in Health and Disease. Annu Rev Immunol. 2020 Apr 26;38:203-228. doi: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-080719-015428. Epub 2019 Jan 27.

Depuydt, M.A.C., Schaftenaar, F.H., Prange, K.H.M. et al. Single-cell T cell receptor sequencing of paired human atherosclerotic plaques and blood reveals autoimmune-like features of expanded effector T cells. Nat Cardiovasc Res 2, 112–125 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44161-022-00208-4

de Winther MPJ, Bäck M, Evans P, Gomez D, Goncalves I, Jørgensen HF, Koenen RR, Lutgens E, Norata GD, Osto E, Dib L, Simons M, Stellos K, Ylä-Herttuala S, Winkels H, Bochaton-Piallat ML, Monaco C. Translational opportunities of single-cell biology in atherosclerosis. Eur Heart J. 2022 Dec 7:ehac686. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehac686. PMID: 36478058.

Dib, L., Koneva, L.A., Edsfeldt, A. et al. Lipid-associated macrophages transition to an inflammatory state in human atherosclerosis, increasing the risk of cerebrovascular complications. Nat Cardiovasc Res 2, 656–672 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44161-023-00295-x

Engelen SE, Robinson AJB, Zurke YX, Monaco C. Therapeutic strategies targeting inflammation and immunity in atherosclerosis: how to proceed? Nat Rev Cardiol. 2022 Jan 31:1-21. doi: 10.1038/s41569-021-00668-4. PMID: 35102320

THEMES

Immunology, Cardiovascular Science.

CONTACT INFORMATION OF ALL SUPERVISORS

claudia.monaco@kennedy.ox.ac.uk

paul.klenerman@ndm.ox.ac.uk

lea.dib@kennedy.ox.ac.uk

The Kennedy Institute is a proud supporter of the Academic Futures scholarship programme, designed to address under-representation and help improve equality, diversity and inclusion in our graduate student body.  The Kennedy and the wider University rely on bringing the very best minds from across the world together, whatever their race, gender, religion or background to create new ideas, insights and innovations to change the world for the better. Up to 50 full awards are available across the three programme streams, and you can find further information on each stream on their individual tabs (Academic futures | Graduate access | University of Oxford).

How to Apply

Please contact the relevant supervisor(s), to register your interest in the project, and the departmental Education Team (graduate.studies@ndorms.ox.ac.uk), who will be able to advise you of the essential requirements for the programme and provide further information on how to make an official application.

Interested applicants should have, or expect to obtain, a first or upper second-class BSc degree or equivalent in a relevant subject and will also need to provide evidence of English language competence (where applicable). The application guide and form is found online and the DPhil or MSc by research will commence in October 2025.

Applications should be made to the following programme using the specified course code.

D.Phil in Molecular and Cellular Medicine (course code: RD_MP1)

For further information, please visit http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/applying-to-oxford.

Interviews to be held week commencing 13^th January 2025.