Dyslipidemia reduces platelet membrane fluidity and increases platelet reactivity

• Applicant: Dr. Marcel Benkhoff
• Subject Area: Cardiology, Angiology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 530690968

Dyslipidemia is associated with a substantial increase in the risk of cardiovascular events. Patients with dyslipidemia have higher levels of fatty acids and cholesterol in their blood compared to healthy individuals. It has recently been shown that dyslipidemia thus has an influence on the membrane composition of platelets. However, to date, the extent to which this leads to altered fluidity and platelet function has not been investigated. Similarly, it is unclear whether cessation of dyslipidemia according to current recommendations leads to normalization of platelet reactivity or whether residual platelet risk may be a cause of continued substantial cardiovascular risk with lipid-lowering therapy. The overall goal of this experimental project is to gain a mechanistic understanding of the relationship between plasma lipids, platelet membrane fluidity, and the resulting platelet function. In order to achieve this goal, the following sub-objectives are defined, which will be addressed and answered in the following work programs: 1) Identification of associations between membrane fluidity, membrane composition, plasma lipids and platelet function. 2) Analysis of the mechanism of altered membrane fluidity 3) Translational studies on the association of lipid-lowering medication, plasma lipid composition and platelet membrane fluidity and function.

• DFG Programme: WBP Fellowship
• International Connection: Austria
• Host: Professor Robert Ahrends, Ph.D.