[AICS Roster]

The Atherosclerosis and Inflammation of the Cardiovascular System [AICS] Study Section reviews applications involving both basic and applied science related to aspects of inflammation of the vascular system with a focus on atherosclerosis, diabetes, transplantation, aging, autoimmunity and infection. This study section will review applications on the pathobiology of the blood vessels leading to atherogenesis, its reversal and prevention. A major contributor to atherogenesis is hyperlipidemia, involving lipids, lipoproteins and their oxidation derivatives.  Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease.  Thus studies involving inflammatory mediators, cytokines, chemokines, cell signaling, cell migration, and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and their impact on the cardiovascular system are appropriate.  Major risk factors such as diabetes will be emphasized at two levels, the generation of hyperlipidemia and the responses of the vessel wall.

Specific areas covered by AICS:

• Signaling in the vascular wall; immune mechanisms in vascular inflammation; cytokines, chemokines, cell signaling, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species influencing the vessel wall; macrophages and T cell activation in the cardiovascular system; transplantation immunology related to cardiovascular disease.
• Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species of LDL and in vascular injury including nitric oxide to form peroxynitrite.
• Hepatic lipoprotein metabolism; structure and function of apolipoproteins, lipid metabolizing enzymes and receptors; gene expression and regulation.
• Reverse lipid transport; apoproteins E and A-I; HDL; cell surface molecules in lipid efflux; ABC transporters.
• Lipoprotein interaction with vascular cells; LDL modification and oxidation; LDL interaction with monocyte-macrophage forming foam cells; LDL interaction with matrix components; vascular cell surface receptors for lipoproteins.
• Genetics of lipoprotein metabolism; genetics of responsiveness of cells and enzymes involved in atherogenesis.
• Therapeutic strategies for hyperlipidemia, inflammation and cholesterol disposal; gene therapy; hormone replacement therapy.
• Animal models of atherosclerosis, diabetes, vasculitis, infection or lipid metabolic disorders (inherited or acquired).
• Stem cells; origin of cells of atherosclerotic plaque and cardiovascular inflammatory foci
• Regression of atherosclerosis; plaque stabilization; metalloproteinases; cell and matrix remodeling.
• Lipid mediators in vascular wall inflammation; arachidonic acid metabolites.
• Pro- and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in vessel wall; nuclear hormone receptors; Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor (PPAR) and Liver X Receptor (LXR); sterol and fatty acid ligands.
• Insulin and diabetes effects on lipoprotein metabolism in the liver; lipid and lipoprotein metabolism influencing hepatic insulin action.
• Insulin action and signaling in the vessel wall; insulin resistance.
• Infective and toxicological agents in promoting vessel wall inflammation and atherosclerosis.
• Viral or autoimmune myocarditis, Chagas disease, rheumatic heart disease, and other infections of the cardiovascular system, with the exception of transplant-associated infections.

AICS has the following shared interests within the CVS IRG:

There is shared interest in the pathobiology of atherosclerosis with other sections in this IRG. Assignment to AICS will be on the basis of a primary focus on atherosclerosis as an inflammatory process and on diabetes. Specific shared interest may occur with applications dealing with:

• With Cardiac Contractility, Hypertrophy, and Function [CCHF]:  When transplantation is studied only in relation to assessment of myocardial function, applications may be assigned to CCHF.  Applications that study inflammation of the myocardium secondary to ischemia and the role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, cytokines, and chemokines in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury are appropriately assigned to AICS.

• With Vascular Cell and Molecular Biology [VCMB]:  When the emphasis is on the biology of the endothelium or vascular smooth muscle cell, then VCMB is appropriate. Studies of atherogenesis or vasculitis are more appropriately assigned to AICS. Vascular remodeling related to the refashioning of the atherosclerotic plaque will be assigned to AICS. 
• With Myocardial Ischemia and Metabolism [MIM]:  Transplant related organ preservation is appropriately assigned to MIM.  Applications that study inflammation of the myocardium secondary to ischemia and the role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, cytokines, and chemokines in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury are also appropriately assigned to MIM.  Transplantation biology including transplant-related arrhythmias, graft vasculopathy, atherosclerosis, and transplant immunobiology are more appropriately assigned to AICS. Aspects of vascular biology related directly to processes of vascular inflammation, atherogenesis and atherosclerosis regression will also be assigned to AICS.
• With Hypertension and Microcirculation [HM]: Although a well recognized risk factor for atherosclerosis, applications that focus on hypertension may be more appropriately assigned to HM.

• With Clinical and Integrative Cardiovascular Sciences [CICS]: Patient-oriented research applications that focus on genetics and mechanisms involved in the modification of risk factors (such as lipid dysfunction) may be more appropriately assigned to CICS.

AICS has the following shared interests outside the CVS IRG:

• With the Genes, Genomes & Genetics [GGG] IRG: Studies of the genetic analyses of mechanisms of lipoprotein metabolism or atherogenesis could be assigned to AICS.  Studies of quantitative genetics, genetic epidemiology and genetic analysis of complex traits, and genetically engineered animals with an emphasis on genetics rather than mechanisms of lipoprotein metabolism or atherogenesis may be assigned to the GGG IRG.
• With the Biology of Development and Aging [BDA] IRG:  (1) Studies on aging where the primary focus is on atherosclerosis and inflammation of the cardiovascular system could be assigned to AICS.  Studies on the cardiovascular system that are testing hypotheses about mechanisms of aging that affect multiple systems or non-cardiovascular tissues could be assigned to the BDA IRG.  Studies on cardiovascular function or properties that are part of studies of multiple age-related changes in physiology or body composition (e.g., fat, cardiovascular and bone) could be assigned to the BDA IRG. (2) Applications studying the origin of cells, including stem cells, of atherosclerotic plaques and cardiovascular inflammatory foci could be assigned to AICS.  BDA may be considered for more general developmental studies.  Applications that use human embryonic stem cells might also be clustered in the BDA IRG, even if studying cardiovascular system specific issues. 
• With the Health of the Population [HOP] IRG:  Applications in which the primary outcomes are population studies related to demographics or epidemiology may generally be assigned to the HOP IRG.  Applications on the diseases, disorders, or functional consequences of behaviors could be assigned to AICS.

• With the Risk, Prevention, and Health Behavior [RPHB] IRG:  Behavior modification directed toward the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, including psychological aspects, could be assigned to the RPHB IRG.  Applications on the diseases, disorders, or functional consequences of behaviors could be assigned to AICS.

• With the Immunology [IMM] IRG: The IMM IRG may be assigned applications concerning the etiology and pathogenesis of organ-specific and systemic autoimmune diseases or transplantation, particularly when the focus is on the immune system. Studies of the immunology of cardiac transplantation or bypass surgery and inflammation of the cardiovascular system as related to atherosclerosis, diabetes, autoimmune myocarditis and other immune-related cardiovascular inflammations could be assigned to AICS when the focus is on the function of the cardiovascular system.  AICS is complementary to the IMM IRG with respect to those applications requiring expertise in pathogenic effector mechanisms and specific factors or structures relevant to target organ damage and repair.  Similarly, the IMM IRG is complementary to AICS with respect to those applications requiring expertise in immunopathogenic mechanisms.  Areas of unavoidable shared interest such as the immunology of cardiac transplantation would be resolved according to the central focus of the application.

• With the Infectious Diseases and Microbiology [IDM] IRG:  Studies of infectious diseases directly related to cardiovascular system injury, inflammation and function may be assigned to AICS.  Studies that focus on the pathogen rather than their effect on the cardiovascular system may be assigned to the IDM IRG.

• With the Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition and Reproductive Sciences [EMNR] IRG:  Proposals that focus primarily upon lipid metabolism, or the effects of obesity, diabetes, or dietary changes on the whole body or multiple organ systems may be assigned to the EMNR IRG.  Applications dealing primarily with the role of lipids in the inflammation of the vascular system, particularly atherosclerosis, could be assigned to AICS.

• With the Digestive Sciences [DIG] IRG:  Applications on the biochemistry of elevated plasma lipids and lipoproteins or xenobiotics in the intestine and liver may be assigned to AICS when the focus is on atherosclerosis and inflammation in the cardiovascular system.  Applications dealing with cholesterol and lipid metabolism and xenobiotic metabolism as it relates to bile salt metabolism and excretion, and the role of cytokines and nitric oxide in the pathogenesis of liver diseases could be assigned to the DIG IRG.

• With the Surgical Sciences, Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering [SBIB] IRG:  In general, systemic host injury responses to surgery and post-operative disseminated infection (sepsis) would be referred to the SBIB IRG.  Inflammatory injury to the cardiovascular system in a non-surgical context would be referred to AICS.