Does Senescence Impair the Cardiovascular Benefits of Menopause Hormone Therapy?

Does Senescence Impair the Cardiovascular Benefits of Menopause Hormone Therapy? Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) causes approximately one-third of all deaths worldwide. The protection in women against ASCVD is reduced with aging and menopause. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has not replicated this protection in postmenopausal women in clinical trials, highlighting the gap in our knowledge of the mechanisms of the protecting roles of estrogens in young women and impaired protection of MHT in aged women. The goal of this application is to investigate the mechanism by which MHT fails to reduce ASCVD events despite metabolic improvements and to define a therapeutic approach to reduce ASCVD risk in aged women. To recapitulate the physiology in postmenopausal women with MHT, mouse models of estradiol (E2) treatment with surgical menopause and atherosclerosis regression have been designed. Preliminary studies show that atherosclerosis burden under MHT was associated with blood inflammatory factor interferon gamma (IFNg) levels when hyperlipidemia was reduced. These results mirror the clinical observation that MHT could not improve postmenopausal ASCVD risk when the inflammation index is high. Aging and senescence-related cellular dysfunction may drive inflammation in the artery wall even when the blood lipid profile is normal. My overarching hypothesis is that inflammation resolution in atherosclerotic lesions is impaired by senescence-related incompetence of arterial repair in postmenopausal women with MHT. I propose that ASCVD risk will be reduced with MHT when lipid risks and inflammation in atherosclerotic lesions are resolved. I will explore this hypothesis with two Specific Aims: 1) Test the hypothesis that MHT improves lipid metabolism but does not resolve arterial senescence and atherosclerotic inflammation. 2) Test the hypothesis that correcting senescence and limiting inflammation in atherosclerotic lesions will restore the cardiovascular benefits of menopause E2 treatment. Studies proposed in this application will reveal critical mechanisms underlying why MHT fails to reverse atherosclerosis and lead to therapeutic approaches to reduce ASCVD risk in postmenopausal women. My career goal is to lead a research team focused on managing ASCVD risks. I have a strong background in lipid research and in the atherosclerosis field. The proposed project will afford me new expertise in 1) studying cellular senescence and immune cell functions in inflammation resolution in atherosclerosis regression, 2) translational science to reduce ASCVD risk by developing therapeutic methods to block inflammation in the artery wall. I have proposed a career development plan that integrates formal didactic training with a diverse hands-on mentorship committee to further refine my skills, competences, and leadership ability. It is anticipated that completion of the proposed project and training plan will place me in an ideal position to receive a tenure track faculty position.