NIH grants University of Missouri $8.5M to study microcirculation

The National Institutes of Health’s (NIHs) National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has bestowed the University of Missouri (MU) in Columbia an $8.47 million research grant to investigate how the microcirculation contributes to cardiovascular disease (CVD) .

"The grant has given us a very large opportunity that will help us focus on the many questions we have about microvascular function," said Gerald Meininger, PhD, program director and principal investigator of MU. "By focusing the efforts of many scientists, we hope to further understand the underlying conditions that contribute to many different types of cardiovascular diseases."

The small vessels aid in the transfer of gases, nutrients and hormones throughout the human bodies and remove waste, like carbon dioxide, from the tissues and organs.

The proper functioning of these vessels manages the health of the cardiovascular system, including the organs and tissue and reserachers will study how it affects rates of high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes.

“The imaging resources give MU a powerful advantage in terms of trying to answer questions about blood vessels that are thinner than human hair, as well as cells and tissues," said Ronald Korthuis, PhD, chair of the department of medical pharmacology and physiology. "Where others can only speculate, we are able to show the world."

Research will be conducted by 20 scientists within the MU system, the university said.

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