Aortic aneurysms

Vascular surgery research at Leicester, led by Professor Matt Bown, has a major interest in the clinico-pathological mechanisms underlying the development of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Aligned with the strengths of the department in genomic medicine, we have used genomic approaches to aneurysmal disease and successfully identified novel genetic risk loci for disease. For example, the identification of LDL-receptor Related Protein 1 (LRP1) as a disease specific risk locus has led to a paradigm shift in our understanding of this disease and new avenues of investigation. Coupled with our work in defining new areas of research we have developed new laboratory models of aneurysmal disease with which to perform mechanistic studies of the new pathways we have identified.

Our clinical research is focussed on the pre- and post-operative management of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms. As well as a major contribution to national research trials in this area, through our unparalleled levels of clinical experience in endovascular (key hole) aneurysm repair, we have developed nationally adopted pathways of care for these patients and have also worked to develop stratified medical approaches to post-operative surveillance.