The Karolinska Institute participates with three research units; the Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Department of Medicine, the Vascular Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery and Molecular Medicine, and the Thoracic Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery and Molecular Medicine. In addition, the Solid Mechanics Unit at the Royal Institute of Technology is participating in the project. The team shares expertise in human vascular tissue and cell biology, immunohistochemistry and morphology, biochemistry of proteases, genetics, clinical investigations, animal models and biomechanics.

The Karolinska team has fully equipped molecular and genetic laboratories, animal facilities and biobank facilities. The team has access to core facilities for microarray analysis and creation of modified mice models. The methodological arsenal comprises immunohistochemistry, molecular and cell biology, patient recruitment, human vascular tissue collections, gene mapping, DNA sequencing, mutation detection, genotyping, assays for studying gene function and microarray analysis.

Tasks in FAD

TAA and AAA clinical and biological database, genetics and tissue biology of aneurysm formation associated with bicuspid aortic valve, candidate SNPs in AAA cohort, gene expression profiling in aortic aneurysm, evaluation of SERPINA on AAA development in mice, role of intraluminal thrombus in AAA development and rupture and generation of patient specific geometrical models of AAA.

Members of the FAD staff

 Eriksson P (PhD), molecular biologist, cell and molecular biology, genetics, FAD co-coordinator - Swedenborg J (MD, PhD), vascular surgeon, cell biology, AAA clinical database
 Franco-Cereceda A (MD, PhD), thoracic surgeon, clinical and genetic database TAA
 Gasser C (PhD), engineer, biomechanics
 Liska J (MD, PhD), thoracic surgeon, clinical and genetic database TAA
 Wågsäter D (PhD), molecular biologist, cell and molecular biology
 Joy Roy (MD, PhD), vascular surgeon, cell and molecular biology
 Hultgren R (MD, PhD), vascular surgeon, epidemiology
 Piraino P (PhD), biostatistician, proteomics
 Burt B, BMA, cell and molecular biology
 Olsson T, BMA, clinical database, cell and molecular biology
 Frebelius S, BMA, clinical database
 Jackson V, (MD), TAA clinical database, molecular biology
 Folkesson M (PhD student), cell and molecular biology
 Folkersen L ( PhD student), bioinformatics
 Paloschi V (PhD student), cell and molecular biology

Main publication linked to FAD tasks

 Kazi M, Zhu C, Roy J, Paulsson-Berne G, Hamsten A, Swedenborg J, Hedin U, Eriksson P. Difference in matrix-degrading protease expression and activity between thrombus-free and thrombus-covered wall of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005;25:1341-46.
 Wang X, et al. Positional identification of TNFSF4, encoding OX40 ligand, as a gene that influences atherosclerosis susceptibility. Nature Genet 2005;37:365-372.
 Swanberg M, et al. MHC2TA is association with differential MHC molecule expression and susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and myocardial infarction. Nature Genet 2005;37:486-494.
 Hultgren R, Granath F, Swedenborg J. Different disease profiles for women and men with abdominal aortic aneurysms. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2007;33:556-60.
 Folkesson M, Kazi M, Zhu C, Silveira A, Hemdahl AL, Hamsten A, Hedin U, Swedenborg J, Eriksson P. Presence of NGAL/MMP-9 complexes in human abdominal aortic aneurysms. Thromb Haemost. 2007;98:427-33.
 Broadbent HM, et al. Susceptibility to coronary artery disease and diabetes is encoded by distinct, tightly linked, SNPs in the ANRIL locus on chromosome 9p. Hum Mol Genet. 2008;17:806-14
 Gasser TC, Görgülü G, Folkesson M, Swedenborg J. Failure properties of intraluminal thrombus in abdominal aortic aneurysm under static and pulsating mechanical loads. J Vasc Surg. 2008;48:179-88.
 Wågsäter D, Björk H, Zhu C, Björkegren J, Valen G, Hamsten A, Eriksson P. ADAMTS-4 and -8 are inflammatory regulated enzymes expressed in macrophage-rich areas of human atherosclerotic plaques. Atherosclerosis 2008;196:514-22
 Roy J, Labruto F, Beckman MO, Danielson J, Johansson G, Swedenborg J. Bleeding into the intraluminal thrombus in abdominal aortic aneurysms is associated with rupture. J Vasc Surg. 2008; In Press
 Wågsäter D, Zhu C, Björck HM, Eriksson P. Effects of PDGF-C and PDGF-D on monocyte migration and MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. Atherosclerosis 2008; In Press.
 Samnegård A, Hulthe J, Silveira A, Ericsson C-G, Hamsten A, Eriksson P. Gender specific associations between matrix metalloproteinases and inflammatory markers in post myocardial infarction patients. Atherosclerosis 2008; In Press.
 Björck HM, Länne T, Alehagen U, Persson K, Rundkvist L, Hamsten A, Dahlström U, Eriksson P. Association of genetic variation on chromosome 9p21.3 and arterial stiffness. J Intern Med 2008; In Press.