Our research focuses on developing a therapeutic for aortic aneurysms, a condition currently lacking effective treatment. Through human genetic studies, we identified and characterized a gene associated with aortic aneurysms. The disruption of the gene in mice resulted in the development of thoracic and abdominal aneurysm. The transcriptomic analysis of the mice aortic aneurysm led to the discovery of a secreted protein expressed at elevated levels in human aneurysms.
We treated mice with a commercially available antibody, which effectively rescued the aneurysm phenotype. Originally developed for cancer therapy, this antibody has been repurposed by our team for aortic aneurysm treatment. Our future goal is to generate and optimize humanized antibodies specifically targeting aortic aneurysms.