The National Science Centre in Kraków has announced the results of the SONATA BIS 14, and among the winners is dr. hab. Marta Pacia. The project will address the importance of lipid droplets in aging endothelium.
Endothelial cells play a crucial role in regulating the transport of lipids from the blood. Under physiological conditions, endothelial cells effectively “buffer” excess lipids by converting them into lipid droplets (LDs) during the postprandial phase, when the body processes and absorbs consumed food. Shortly after their formation, these LDs undergo lipolysis in a process controlled by a set of enzymes and LDs-associated proteins. However, it remains unexplored whether age-altered endothelial cells retain the ability to effectively buffer lipids under conditions of postprandial lipid overload. Today, most people consume too much fatty food and spend the majority of the day in the postprandial phase. The endothelium’s inability to cope with excess lipids in the blood is considered a prerequisite for the development of endothelial dysfunction, and consequently, cardiovascular diseases.