The Danish Council for Independent Research (DFF) supports two projects at the Institute of Molecular Medicine
A recently identified protein found on the surface of the intestine and lungs may have a protective effect against allergies and chronic intestinal disorders. This offers hope of potentially developing new treatments for diseases that are on the rise in western countries.
Professor Uffe Holmskov and his research team at the Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) discovered the protein, and they will now be able to continue their investigation of mechanisms that could make us more resistant to allergies and inflammatory intestinal diseases.
The research project was endowed with a grant of DKK 2.6 million out of the annual award from the Danish Council for Independent Research (DFF).
Professor Pernille B. Lærkegaard Hansen from the same institute received DKK 1.7 million for research into the aldosterone hormone which regulates the fluid and salt balance of the body as well as affecting blood vessels and hence blood pressure.
The studies are conducted directly in blood vessels from mice and humans; this latter aspect in particular is unique, as the vast majority of functional studies in blood vessels are based solely on animal experiments.
The results of the project could lead to new types of treatments for a number of cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension, which affects 25% of the population.
25.06.2013
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