We work translationally and transdisciplinary with researchers at clinical and basic departments at OUH, SDU and elsewhere. We take advantage of our large human arterial and blood-derived biobanks, which together with the use of OMICS-technologies allow us to gain novel molecular insights.
Projects
- Molecular pathophysiology of arterial diseases with special focus on the role of matrix-molecules in cardiometabolic diseases
- Somatic genomics as a discovery tool for arterial research: Are somatic mutations present? Do they define vascular clones? What are putative consequences?
- The development and validation of blood-based and other screening tools for cardiovascular diseases using a large cardiovascular screening cohort (DANCAVAS / PREPARE)
- Defining new potential arterial treatment targets by explorative mendelian randomization studies using plasma proteomics, genomics and clinical variables from the DANCAVAS /PREPARE study
Available cohorts and infrastructures
Odense Artery Biobank
Arterial samples (and parallel blood-derived materials) stored systematically from several arteries gathered from various heart- and vascular operations from more than 1000 patients. Odense Artery Biobank
DANCAVAS / PREPARE biobank and dataset
Blood-derived samples and data from the DANCAVAS cardiovascular screening study (N=14.000). Research areas at Research unit of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular surgery - DANCAVAS (Odense)
Postdocs, PhD students and OUH/SDU Collaborators
- PhD-student Kristian Boje Nielsen, BoB, OUH
- Clinical Professor Lars Melholt Rasmussen, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
- Assoc. Professor Lasse Bach Steffensen, CVR, IMM, SDU
- Professor Jes Lindholt, Vascular Surgery, Dept. T, OUH
- Assoc. Professor Jane Stubbe, CVR, IMM, SDU
- Assoc. Professor Daniel Ketelhuth, CVR, IMM, SDU
- Assoc. Professor Martin Overgaard, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
- Professor Hans Christian Beck, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
- Assoc. Professor Søren Feddersen, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
- Professor Mads Thomassen, KGA, OUH
- Professor Axel Diederichsen, Cardiology, dept. B, OUH
- Scientific Coordinator Pia Søndergaard Jensen, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, OUH
Ongoing funding
- Our Artery Research is an integral part of the OUH/SDU Elite Research Centre, "CIMA - Centre for Individualized Medicine in Arterial Diseases" (OUH-funded 2013-2023).
- Independent Research Fund Denmark DKK 2.9 mil. Studies of somatic mutations in arteries. 2024-2027
- Danish Cardiovascular Academy (PhD-study for Kristian Boje Nielsen) 2025–2028
Selected publications
- Arterial collagen IV and laminin levels associate with type 2 diabetes, glycemic control, major adverse cardiac events, and mortality in coronary bypass patients. Faarvang, ASA, Overgaard, M, Jensen, PS, Riber, LP, Wod, M, Steffensen, LB, Rasmussen, LM. Cardiovasc Diabetol, 24(1):458, 2025
- Mutational landscape of atherosclerotic plaques reveals large clonal cell populations. Steffensen, LB, Kavan, S, Jensen, PS, Pedersen, MK, Bøttger, SM, Larsen, MJ, Dembic, M, Bergman, O, Matic, L, Hedin, U, Andersen, L, Lindholt, JS, Houlind, KC, Riber, LP, Thomassen, M, Rasmussen, LM. JCI Insight, 10(10):e188281, 2025
- Aortic Aneurysm Risk and the Somatic JAK2V617F Mutation. Insights from a Multicenter, Population-Based, Cardiovascular Screening Study. Obel, L, Skovbo, J, Diederichsen, A, Thomassen, M, Kjær, L, Larsen, M, Knudsen, T, Skov, V, Kruse, T, Burton, M, Dembic, M, Wienecke, T, Sabater-Lleal, M, Gerke, O, Bruun, N, Ellervik, C, Brabrand, M, Steffensen, F, Frost, L, Lambrechtsen, J, Busk, M, Urbonaviciene, G, Egstrup, K, Karon, M, Feddersen, S, Rasmussen, LM, Hasselbalch, H, Lindholt, JS. Circulation, 152(5):300-312, 2025
- Targeting the PDK/PDH axis modulates neutrophil and smooth muscle cell pathological responses and prevents abdominal aortic aneurysm formation. Griepke, S, Grentzmann, A, Tripodi, GL, Hansen, J, Fonseca, MP, Nilsson, MD, Tallouzi, Y, Grupe, E, Jensen, PS, Beck, HC, Temprano-Sagrera, G, Sabater-Lleal, M, Burton, M, Dembic, M, Thomassen, M, Forteza, MJ, Terp, MG, Lindholt, JS, Rasmussen, LM, Steffensen, LB, Stubbe, J, Ketelhuth, DFJ. Cardiovasc Res., cvaf0322, 2025
- Smooth muscle-specific deletion of cellular communication network factor 2 causes severe aorta malformation and atherosclerosis. Larsen JH, Skorstengaard JH, Pedersen, MK, Andersson CM, Lindegaard, CA, Hansen, DR, Stubbe J, Lindholt JS, Bloksgaard, M, Jensen, BL, Rodriguez-Díez, RR, Ruiz-Ortega, M, Goldschmeding, R, Wirka, R, Pilecki, BM, Sørensen, GL, Pyke, C, Overgaard, M, Beck, HC, Ketelhuth, DFJ, Rasmussen LM, Steffensen LB. Cardiovasc Res, 120(15):1851-1868, 2024
- Coronary artery calcification score and 19 biomarkers on cardiovascular events; a 10-year follow-up DanRisk substudy Schæffer, M, Rasmussen, JH, Fredgart, MH, Hasific, S, Jakobsen, FN, Steffensen, FH, Lambrechtsen, J, Sand, NPR, Rasmussen, LM, Diederichsen, ACP Atherosclerosis Plus, 58, 9-15, 2024
- Basement membrane proteins in various arterial beds from individuals with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus: a proteome study. Steffensen LB, Iversen XES, Hansen RS, Jensen PS, Thorsen AF, Lindholt JS, Riber LPS, Beck HC, Rasmussen LM. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 20(1):182, 2021.
- Basement membrane collagen IV deficiency promotes abdominal aortic aneurysm formation. Steffensen LB, Stubbe J, Lindholt JS, Beck HC, Overgaard M, Bloksgaard M, Genovese F, Holm Nielsen S, Tha MLT, Bang-Moeller SK, Hong Lin MKT, Larsen JH, Hansen DR, Jones GT, Bown MJ, Karsdal MA, Rasmussen LM. Sci Rep. 11(1):12903, 2021