Institute of Molecular Vascular Medicine
TUM School of Medicine and Health
Technische Universität München
2025

Modulation of the Acod1/itaconate pathway differentially affects atherosclerosis severity across genetic models and sexes.

Haase L, Belkacemi A, Neises L, Kiweler N, Wesely C, Huchzermeier R, Bozic M, Khakdan A, Sánchez M, Mary A, Sachs N, Winter H, Glaab E, Heneka MT, van der Vorst EP, Mittelbronn M, Meiser J, Schneider JG.J Clin Invest. 2025 Jun 12:e182472. doi: 10.1172/JCI182472.

MicroRNA-15a-5p mediates abdominal aortic aneurysm progression and serves as a potential diagnostic and prognostic circulating biomarker.

Winski G, Chernogubova E, Busch A, Eken SM, Jin H, Lindquist Liljeqvist M, Khan T, Bäcklund A, Paloschi V, Roy J, Hultgren R, Brostjan C, de Borst GJ, Sluijter JPG, Sachs N, Eckstein HH, Boon RA, Spin JM, Tsao PS, Asselbergs FW, Maegdefessel L.Commun Med (Lond). 2025 Jun 6;5(1):218. doi: 10.1038/s43856-025-00892-w.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm histomorphology shows different inflammatory aspects among patients and is not associated with classic risk factors - the HistAAA study.

Nackenhorst MC, Menges F, Bohmann B, Zschäpitz D, Bollwein C, Flemming S, Sachs N, Eilenberg W, Brostjan C, Neumayer C, Trenner M, Ibing W, Schelzig H, Reeps C, Maegdefessel L, Regele H, Wagenhäuser MU, Scholz CJ, Gasser TC, Busch A.Cardiovasc Res. 2025 Apr 29:cvaf071. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvaf071. Online ahead of print.

An atypical atherogenic chemokine that promotes advanced atherosclerosis and hepatic lipogenesis.

El Bounkari O, Zan C, Yang B, Ebert S, Wagner J, Bugar E, Kramer N, Bourilhon P, Kontos C, Zarwel M, Sinitski D, Milic J, Jansen Y, Kempf WE, Sachs N, Maegdefessel L, Ji H, Gokce O, Riols F, Haid M, Gerra S, Hoffmann A, Brandhofer M, Avdic M, Bucala R, Megens RTA, Willemsen N, Messerer D, Schulz C, Bartelt A, Harm T, Rath D, Döring Y, Gawaz M, Weber C, Kapurniotu A, Bernhagen J.Nat Commun. 2025 Mar 7;16(1):2297. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-57540-z.

CXCL12 Derived From ACKR1+ Intraplaque Neovessels Mediates CD8+ T Cell Recruitment in Human Atherosclerosis.

Parma L, Sachs N, Sobczak N, Li Z, Merchant K, Pauli J, Depuydt MAC, Wezel A, Smeets HJ, Bot I, Slütter B, Maegdefessel L, Weber C, Duchêne J, Megens RTA.Circulation. 2025 Feb 25;151(8):581-584. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.072560. Epub 2025 Feb 24.

Ezh2 Shapes T Cell Plasticity to Drive Atherosclerosis.

Bonfiglio CA, Lacy M, Triantafyllidou V, Farina FM, Janjic A, Nitz K, Wu Y, Bazioti V, Avcilar-Kücükgöze I, Marques YFS, Joppich M, Kumkum M, Röß K, Venkatasubramani AV, Imhof A, Enard W, Maegdefessel L, de Winther M, Weber C, Santovito D, Lutgens E, Atzler D.Circulation. 2025 May 13;151(19):1391-1408. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.072384. Epub 2025 Feb 7.

Circular RNAs increase during vascular cell differentiation and are biomarkers for vascular disease.

Northoff BH, Herbst A, Wenk C, Weindl L, Gäbel G, Brezski A, Zarnack K, Küpper A, Dimmeler S, Moretti A, Laugwitz KL, Engelhardt S, Maegdefessel L, Boon RA, Doppler S, Dreßen M, Lahm H, Lange R, Krane M, Krohn K, Kohlmaier A, Holdt LM, Teupser D.Cardiovasc Res. 2025 Apr 29;121(3):405-423. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvaf013.

2024

Long Non-Coding RNA Function in Smooth Muscle Cell Plasticity and Atherosclerosis.

Maegdefessel L, Fasolo F.Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2025 Feb;45(2):172-185. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.124.320393. Epub 2024 Dec 5.

Ticagrelor vs Prasugrel for Acute Coronary Syndrome in Routine Care.

Krüger N, Krefting J, Kessler T, Schmieder R, Starnecker F, Dutsch A, Graesser C, Meyer-Lindemann U, Storz T, Pugach I, Frieß C, Chen Z, Bongiovanni D, Manea I, Dreischulte T, Offenborn F, Krase P, Sager HB, Wiebe J, Kufner S, Xhepa E, Joner M, Trenkwalder T, Gueldener U, Kastrati A, Cassese S, Schunkert H, von Scheidt M; DigiMed Bayern Consortium.JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Dec 2;7(12):e2448389. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.48389.

Inflammatory crosstalk impairs phagocytic receptors and aggravates atherosclerosis in clonal hematopoiesis in mice.

Liu W, Hardaway BD, Kim E, Pauli J, Wettich JL, Yalcinkaya M, Hsu CC, Xiao T, Reilly MP, Tabas I, Maegdefessel L, Schlepckow K, Haass C, Wang N, Tall AR.J Clin Invest. 2024 Nov 12;135(1):e182939. doi: 10.1172/JCI182939.

Red blood cells as potential materials for microRNA biomarker study: overcoming heparin-related challenges.

Kontidou E, Humoud R, Chernogubova E, Alvarsson M, Maegdefessel L, Collado A, Pernow J, Zhou Z.Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2024 Nov 1;327(5):H1296-H1302. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00609.2024. Epub 2024 Oct 18.

Pro-efferocytic nanotherapies reduce vascular inflammation without inducing anemia in a large animal model of atherosclerosis.

Bamezai S, Zhang Y, Kumari M, Lotfi M, Alsaigh T, Luo L, Kumar GS, Wang F, Ye J, Puri M, Manchanda R, Paluri S, Adkar SS, Kojima Y, Ingelsson A, Bell CF, Lopez NG, Fu C, Choi RB, Miller Z, Barrios L, Walsh S, Ahmad F, Maegdefessel L, Smith BR, Leeper NJ.Nat Commun. 2024 Sep 13;15(1):8034. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-52005-1.

PIEZO1 targeting in macrophages boosts phagocytic activity and foam cell apoptosis in atherosclerosis.

Pourteymour S, Fan J, Majhi RK, Guo S, Sun X, Huang Z, Liu Y, Winter H, Bäcklund A, Skenteris NT, Chernogubova E, Werngren O, Li Z, Skogsberg J, Li Y, Matic L, Hedin U, Maegdefessel L, Ehrenborg E, Tian Y, Jin H.Cell Mol Life Sci. 2024 Aug 6;81(1):331. doi: 10.1007/s00018-024-05372-3.

Myeloid cannabinoid CB1 receptor deletion confers atheroprotection in male mice by reducing macrophage proliferation in a sex-dependent manner.

Wang Y, Li G, Chen B, Shakir G, Volz M, van der Vorst EPC, Maas SL, Geiger M, Jethwa C, Bartelt A, Li Z, Wettich J, Sachs N, Maegdefessel L, Nazari Jahantigh M, Hristov M, Lacy M, Lutz B, Weber C, Herzig S, Guillamat Prats R, Steffens S.Cardiovasc Res. 2024 Oct 14;120(12):1411-1426. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvae125.

Atherosclerosis Is a Smooth Muscle Cell-Driven Tumor-Like Disease.

Pan H, Ho SE, Xue C, Cui J, Johanson QS, Sachs N, Ross LS, Li F, Solomon RA, Connolly ES Jr, Patel VI, Maegdefessel L, Zhang H, Reilly MP.Circulation. 2024 Apr 30. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.067587.

Mustn1 is a smooth muscle cell-secreted microprotein that modulates skeletal muscle extracellular matrix composition.

Ducommun S, Jannig PR, Cervenka I, Murgia M, Mittenbühler MJ, Chernogubova E, Dias JM, Jude B, Correia JC, Van Vranken JG, Ocana-Santero G, Porsmyr-Palmertz M, McCann Haworth S, Martínez-Redondo V, Liu Z, Carlström M, Mann M, Lanner JT, Teixeira AI, Maegdefessel L, Spiegelman BM, Ruas JL. Mol Metab. 2024 Apr. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101912.

High-Dimensional Single-Cell Multimodal Landscape of Human Carotid Atherosclerosis.

Bashore AC, Yan H, Xue C, Zhu LY, Kim E, Mawson T, Coronel J, Chung A, Sachs N, Ho S, Ross LS, Kissner M, Passegué E, Bauer RC, Maegdefessel L, Li M, Reilly MP. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2024 Feb 22. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.123.320524.

Suppression of IL-1β promotes beneficial accumulation of fibroblast-like cells in atherosclerotic plaques in clonal hematopoiesis.

Fidler TP, Dunbar A, Kim E, Hardaway B, Pauli J, Xue C, Abramowicz S, Xiao T, O'Connor K, Sachs N, Wang N, Maegdefessel L, Levine R, Reilly M, Tall AR. Nat Cardiovasc Res. 2024 Jan;3(1):60-75. doi: 10.1038/s44161-023-00405-9.

Noncoding RNAs in the Vasculature: Basic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives.

Maegdefessel L, Boon RA, Dimmeler S. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2024 Jan;44(1):3-6. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.123.319564. 

2023

Utilization of an Artery-on-a-Chip to Unravel Novel Regulators and Therapeutic Targets in Vascular Diseases.

Paloschi V, Pauli J, Winski G, Wu Z, Li Z, Botti L, Meucci S, Conti P, Rogowitz F, Glukha N, Hummel N, Busch A, Chernogubova E, Jin H, Sachs N, Eckstein HH, Dueck A, Boon RA, Bausch AR, Maegdefessel L. Adv Healthc Mater. 2023 Oct 5:e2302907. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202302907.

The circular RNA Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated regulates oxidative stress in smooth muscle cells in expanding abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Fasolo F, Winski G, Li Z, Wu Z, Winter H, Ritzer J, Glukha N, Roy J, Hultgren R, Pauli J, Busch A, Sachs N, Knappich C, Eckstein HH, Boon RA, Paloschi V, Maegdefessel L. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids. 2023 Aug 17;33:848-865. doi: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.08.017.

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) Rescues the Contractile Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype in Popliteal Artery Aneurysm Disease.

Pauli J, Reisenauer T, Winski G, Sachs N, Chernogubova E, Freytag H, Otto C, Reeps C, Eckstein HH, Scholz CJ, Maegdefessel L, Busch A. Biomolecules. 2023 Jul 4;13(7):1074. doi: 10.3390/biom13071074.

Targeting non-coding RNAs for novel treatment strategies in vascular diseases.

Winter H, Maegdefessel L. Eur Heart J. 2023 Jul 1;44(25):2267-2269. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad240.

Targeting long non-coding RNA NUDT6 enhances smooth muscle cell survival and limits vascular disease progression.

Winter H, Winski G, Busch A, Chernogubova E, Fasolo F, Wu Z, Bäcklund A, Khomtchouk BB, Van Booven DJ, Sachs N, Eckstein HH, Wittig I, Boon RA, Jin H, Maegdefessel L. Mol Ther. 2023 Jun 7;31(6):1775-1790. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.04.020.

Endothelial microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs in cardiovascular ageing.

Bink DI, Pauli J, Maegdefessel L, Boon RA. Atherosclerosis. 2023 Jun;374:99-106. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2023.03.019.

Long non-coding RNAs at the crossroad of vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic modulation in atherosclerosis and neointimal formation.

Fasolo F, Paloschi V, Maegdefessel L.Atherosclerosis. 2023 Jun;374:34-43. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2022.11.021.

2022

Human Macrophage Long Intergenic Noncoding RNA, SIMALR, Suppresses Inflammatory Macrophage Apoptosis via NTN1 (Netrin-1).

Cynn E, Li DY, O'Reilly ME, Wang Y, Bashore AC, Jha A, Foulkes AS, Zhang H, Winter H, Maegdefessel L, Yan H, Li M, Ross L, Xue C, Reilly MP.Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2023 Feb;43(2):286-299. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.122.318353.

CXCR4 - a possible serum marker for risk stratification of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Reutersberg B, Metschl S, Salvermoser M, Eckstein HH, Knappich C, Maegdefessel L, Jaroslav P, Busch A. Vasa. 2023 Mar. doi: 10.1024/0301-1526/a001049.


Long non-coding RNAs at the crossroad of vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic modulation in atherosclerosis and neointimal formation.

Fasolo F, Paloschi V, Maegdefessel L.Atherosclerosis. 2023 Jun. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2022.11.021.

Changes in Endocan and Dermatan Sulfate Are Associated with Biomechanical Properties of Abdominal Aortic Wall during Aneurysm Expansion and Rupture.

Metschl S, Bruder L, Paloschi V, Jakob K, Reutersberg B, Reeps C, Maegdefessel L, Gee M, Eckstein HH, Pelisek J.Thromb Haemost. 2022 Sep. doi: 10.1055/a-1772-0574.

Downregulation of Erythrocyte miR-210 Induces Endothelial Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes.

Zhou Z, Collado A, Sun C, Tratsiakovich Y, Mahdi A, Winter H, Chernogubova E, Seime T, Narayanan S, Jiao T, Jin H, Alvarsson M, Zheng X, Yang J, Hedin U, Catrina SB, Maegdefessel L, Pernow J.Diabetes. 2022 Feb 1;71(2):285-297. doi: 10.2337/db21-0093.