Atherosclerosis and related complications are a major cause of death and disability in NSW. This project will use see-through zebrafish to literally shed new light on what happens in atherosclerotic plaques using microscopy of the disease inside living zebrafish. We will be able to ask fundamental questions about how plaques form, mature, and harm us by observing the course of disease in zebrafish embryos.
To find new cures of atherosclerosis and it’s complications, the project will take two arms. The first arm will investigate a treatment that may prevent the blood vessel damage necessary for atherosclerosis to get a foothold in our blood vessels while a second arm of the project will set up a zebrafish system to discover new drugs to prevent or reverse the build up of bad fats in atherosclerotic plaques.