Â鶹Éç

Congenital heart disease encompasses a range of conditions with complex interactions with other organ systems. This study focuses on congenital cardiovascular shunts, specifically those between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. These shunts cause excessive blood flow to the lungs, damaging both the heart and lungs. Even after the shunt is closed, mortality rates remain high, particularly due to lung damage that persists for years. Recent research links this damage to the pulmonary lymphatic system, a mechanism partly uncovered by Noah Nilssons’ Danish supervisor, Professor Vibeke Hjortdal.

The lymphatic system, which includes vessels, nodes, and lymphoid tissue, plays crucial roles in immunity, fat transport, and fluid balance. Under normal conditions, lymphatic vessels return fluid from tissues to the bloodstream, preventing edema and ensuring proper circulation. However, when a shunt causes excess blood flow to the lungs, more fluid leaks into the surrounding tissue. Although the lymphatic system can temporarily manage this overload, it eventually becomes dysfunctional, harming lung tissue.  Infants with congenital heart disease may be particularly sensitive to develop damaged lung tissue, but this remains unclear.

To explore this, Noah will go to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to work with Professor Sanjeev Datar, a leading expert on lymphatic complications in congenital heart disease. The investigation will focus on identifying which genes in pulmonary lymphatic vessels are affected by a shunt, understanding why they remain impacted after the shunt is closed, and seeking new treatments based on gene expression analysis. This research is part of a groundbreaking project in the field.

Five Danish Medical Students on a Research Adventure in the USA

For the tenth consecutive year, the Lundbeck Foundation has awarded pre-graduate scholarships—also known as DARE fellowships—to Danish...