CRC1366

The present application will characterize the regulation of endothelial cell phenotypes and paracrine functions in the aging heart. Based on previous work, we will address the role of secreted extracellular matrix proteins in endothelial cell aging. Specifically, we will focus on laminins, which we previously have shown to be dysregulated in endothelial cells during aging (Wagner et al, ATVB 2018). Moreover, we will use genetic tracing and barcoding of endothelial cells in combination with single cell RNA sequencing to identify the fate and changes in the signatures of individual cells during injury and aging. We expect to decipher how endothelial cells respond to the aging environment, and how this affects cellular transition states and the microenvironment in the “vascular niche”.