Nicole Steinmetz Awarded $2.6 Million NIH Grant for Cardiovascular Disease Research

01/06/2025

Nicole Steinmetz, professor in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering, director of the Center for Nano Immuno-Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, and co-director of the Center for Engineering in Cancer (CEC) at the Institute of Engineering in Medicine (IEM), was recently awarded an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health totaling $2.6 million over 4 years. The grant will help support the lab’s research on vaccines for cardiovascular diseases that lead to stroke and heart attack.
Nicole Steinmetz, professor of Chemical and Nano Engineering, director of the Center of Nano Immuno-Engineering, and co-director of the CEC at IEM

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major global health issue caused by blockages in blood vessels (atherosclerosis). CVD complications can lead to a variety of other grave and deadly conditions such as heart attack and stroke. Current clinical treatments like statins and blood thinners have a multitude of side effects and require lifelong usage. Many patients struggle with a consistent regimen, requiring an urgent need for a less toxic and efficient treatment.

The Steinmetz lab is taking a novel approach to tackling the root cause of CVD by developing a vaccine that targets two proteins: one that drives vessel inflammation and another that contributes to cholesterol buildup. With this dual target approach, researchers aim to attack CVD in a more holistic manner. The vaccine will be tested in mouse models, where researchers will study its ability to reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, and ultimately prevent CVD.

In a broader context, Steinmetz also wants to see how the vaccine works in aging, cancer treatment, and other high-risk conditions.

This work could provide a long-term, cost-effective solution to prevent and manage CVD.

The Steinmetz lab has also used plant viruses to fight metastatic breast cancer. For more information about the lab’s work, read more here.

View older articles in our  News Archives.