The council strives to promote basic, translational and clinical research in cardiovascular physiology and pathology. Annually AHA asks all of its Councils and science groups what in their estimation have been the most important advances in their respective fields within the past year. We have pulled out of all of those suggestions, the ones that came from or are relevant to our community. These advances and their potential to impact atherosclerosis, thrombosis, vascular biology and the patient are listed in the table below.  

Edward F. Plow, Ph.D., FAHA Chair, Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB)

Nigel Mackman, Ph.D., FAHA Vice-Chair, Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB)

---

Major ATVB Scientific Advances for 2011

1	MicroRNAs are transported in plasma and delivered to recipient cells by HDL. This paper illustrates a novel function for HDL in delivery of miRNAs to various cells to modulate cell function.  This paper will open up a new area of research for cardiovascular diseases. Vickers KC, Palmisano BT, Shoucri BM, Shamburek RD, and Remaley AT.  Nat Cell Biol. 2011. 13:423-433. doi:10.1038/ncb2210 Abstract
2	Dissociation of the glucose and lipid regulatory functions of FoxO1 by targeted knockin of acetylation-defective alleles in mice. This paper illustrates an elegant method for studying the impact of acetylation on transcription factors in vivo, and shows the importance of acetylation of the transcription factor FoxO1 on angiogenesis and insulin resistance. Banks AS, Kim-Muller JY, Mastracci TL, Kofler NM, Qiang L, Haeusler RA, Jurczak MJ, Laznik D, Heinrich G, Samuel VT, Schulman GI, Papaioannou VE, Accili D.  Cell Metab. 2011. 14: 587-597. Abstract
3	The transcription factor NR4A1 (Nur77) controls bone marrow differentiation and the survival of Ly6C- monocytes. This paper demonstrates that the transcription factor NR4A1 is essential for production of the Ly6C- surveillance monocyte subset in mice.  As this monocyte subset is important for the body’s surveillance against pathogens and for the resolution of inflammation, this paper demonstrates an important function for NR4A1 in monocytes in both acute and chronic diseases. Hanna RN, Carlin LM, Hubbeling HG, Nackiewicz D, Green AM, Punt JA, Geissmann, F, Hedrick CC. Nat Immunol. 2011. 12:778-785. Abstract
4	Antagonism of miR-33 in mice promotes reverse cholesterol transport and regression of atherosclerosis. This group previously demonstrated that miR-33, an intronic microRNA located within the SREBF2 gene, suppresses expression of  ABCA1 and reduces plasma levels of HDL-C.  This study demonstrates that anti-miR-33 oligonucleotide treatment of Ldlr-/- mice with established atherosclerosis increases HDL-C and promotes reverse cholesterol transport and plaque regression, a finding of potential clinical utility. Rayner K et al. JCI 2011; 121:2921-31. doi:10.1172/JCI57275. Abstract
5	ATP binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) is an intracellular sterol transporter. This study resolves an ongoing controversy regarding ABCG1 function.  ABCG1 has been proposed to function at the plasma membrane to facilitate the efflux of cholesterol to mature HDL.  Tarling & Edwards demonstrate that ABCG1 is not detectable at the cell surface but rather is an intracellular sterol transporter that localizes to endocytic vesicles, induces SREBP-2 processing and acts to maintain normal sterol levels in endocytic vesicles, in part by facilitating the flux of specific sterols away from the endoplasmic reticulum. Tarling EJ; Edwards PA. PNAS 2011;108:19719-24. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1113021108 Abstract

---