Daniel Ketelhuth

Research interests

Cardiovascular immunology and metabolism

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide, imposing a significant burden on society, including the death of 17 million individual every year. Coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, the two most common forms of CVD, are caused by acute complications of atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the arteries. Our research aims at better understand the molecular mechanisms driving vascular inflammation, and the development of CVD. Pioneer work from our group has identified several targets to modulate the unwanted immune responses in the artery wall, including components of LDL that can trigger innate and adaptive immune cells, and different metabolites that that can inhibit inflammation. By increasing the understanding of the immunometabolic reactions controlling immune responses in atherogenesis, our research will can lead to the development of new drugs to prevent and treat CVDs in the future.

Methods and Techniques

• Immunophenotyping: IHC, IF, FACS, ELISA, qPCR

• Cell culture models: lipid uptake and foam cell formation; Immune activation and polarization (macrophages and T-cells); lipoprotein synthesis and catabolism on HepG2 cells; vascular cell responses (SMCs, HUVECs);

• Biomarker platforms: medium throughput analysis of Trp metabolites (Chromatography and ELISA); LDL-related antigens by ELISA;

• Pre-clinical models of disease: Hyperlipidemic models of atherosclerosis (Apoe-/-, Ldlr-/-, hApoBtg.Ldlr-/-); Diet induced obesity model (DIO); NASH/NAFLD model; acute peritonitis; Abdominal aortic aneurysm

• Genetically modified strains: ApoB-reactive TCR transgenic mice; GPCR-KO mice; innate and adaptive immune targeted mice;

Collaborations within SDU

- Jane Stubbe, Kardiovaskulær og Renal Forskning
- Lasse Bach Steffensen, Kardiovaskulær og Renal Forskning
- Jes Sanddal Lindholt, KI, Hjerte-, Lunge- og Karkirurgi
- Lars Melholt Rasmussen, KI, Klinisk Biokemi og Farmakologi
- Kirsten Madsen, Kardiovaskulær og Renal Forskning

Support received from

Novo Nordisk Foundation, Swedish “Hjärt-Lungfonden”, SDU, Karolinska Institutet, and pharmaceutical industry. Approximatelly 21 million DKK in the last 5 years.

Information for students

We are constantly looking for talented students to join our team. To learn more about our research and available positions contact us at ketelhuth@health.sdu.dk

Members of the research group

PhD candidate: Silke Griepke Dam Nielsen, MsC
Postdoctoral fellow: Micaella Pereira Da Fonseca, PhD