Led by Professor Michael Davies

The Free Radical Group aims to discover how chemical changes within cells and body tissue, affect the development of heart disease. A major focus is oxidation (the process by which free radicals and other reactive species, such as peroxides and metal ions, damage biological material).

The group seeks to understand how oxidants damage proteins, with particular emphasis on damage to the particles that carry bad cholesterol (LDL - low-density lipoprotein) in blood vessels, and the proteins that make up the scaffolding of the artery wall.

A large part of the group's work centres on the chemical hypochlorite, which is a powerful oxidising agent. Most people are familiar with the anti-bacterial action of hypochlorite, as it is the main ingredient in household bleach. Interestingly, hypochlorite is also made by white blood cells in our body in a reaction that involves the enzyme myeloperoxidase.

Hypochlorite is a major player in our immune defence system - killing invading bacteria and other disease causing pathogens. Usually the production of hypochlorite is closely controlled, but it can run wild causing damage to the body's own cells and structures.

People with high concentrations of myeloperoxidase in their blood have a higher risk of developing heart disease. A major goal of the group is to find out how hypochlorite and the enzyme myeloperoxidase damage the artery wall and how this might be prevented.
 
The group is also striving to understand how chemical reactions associated with diabetes and the inflammatory condition systemic lupus, impact on the development of heart disease. Both of these conditions pre-dispose patients to the development of atherosclerosis and an increased risk of dying from heart disease, though the processes by which this happens are not fully understood

Another area of work that is carried out by the group is on the role of metal ions in the development of damage to the artery wall.

Current Projects

Studies on the chemical hypochlorite.

The association between heart disease and other diseases including diabetes and systemic lupus.

The role of metal ions on the development of heart disease.