Investigating the role of ethnicity and inflammation in intramural hematoma to understand disease progression and guide future treatment avenues

Description

Intramural hematoma (IMH) is a life-threatening aortic disease. It involves bleeding within the medial layer of the aortic wall. IMH has variable prognosis; it may be reabsorbed naturally, or may progress to aortic aneurysm or dissection involving a tear in the intimal layer of the aortic wall with increased risk of aortic rupture.

The underlying mechanisms leading to IMH and the reason why IMH regresses in some cases and not in others are currently unknown. IMH can be treated medically and monitored regularly or via surgery with differing frequencies of diagnosis and regression/mortality rates reported between Asia and Europe.

This project will investigate the biochemical and biomechanical properties of the hematoma in patients undergoing surgery in the UK and South East Asia. Inflammation plays a role in many diseases including those affecting the aorta. We hypothesise that the inflammatory response, particularly inflammatory cell recruitment to the hematoma site is associated with IMH regression. We will test this hypothesis by investigating inflammatory cells and marker levels in the hematoma and blood of these patients. This information will be correlated with biomechanical properties of the hematoma to identify any differences in pathological processes between different ethnicities to provide insight into disease mechanisms and direct future treatment avenues.

This project is a multi-disciplinary collaboration based within the Liverpool Aortic Biomechanics and Biochemistry Research Group (incorporating engineering and biochemistry from University of Liverpool, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital) and National University of Singapore. This project will include a period of training in Singapore to investigate differences in pathological processes between Asian and European populations.

The project is suited to a student with at least a good B.Sc. Upper Second in Biological or Life Sciences (particularly in bio-engineering or biochemistry).

Please note - the deadline for this project may be subect to change. Applications will be reviewed until a suitable candidate is appointed, which may be before the stated deadline.