Kenneth Walsh, PhD, a professor of internal medicine and resident faculty member of the UVA Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, traveled to the Nobel Symposium in Physiology or Medicine held in October in Cape Town, South Africa. He presented his work, “Genome Instability in the Immune System: Linking Aging with Cardiovascular Disease,” at the invitation-only event, which gathers leading scientists and observers for five days of discussion. This year’s theme was Progress and Challenges in Cardiovascular Medicine. “It was exciting to present the amazing work performed by my students, postdoctoral fellows and lab staff,” says Dr. Walsh.
The Walsh Lab specializes in studying how genetic mutations accumulate over time in blood stem cells. As a person ages, mutated stem cells can outcompete their non-mutated neighbors, leading to changes in their immune cell makeup. In extreme cases, more than 20% of an individual’s white blood cells can be derived from a single mutated stem cell. This process has been considered a largely benign, normal part of aging, but Dr. Walsh’s team has shown that it is a cardiovascular disease risk factor on par with high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes. Concerningly, mutation accumulation can be accelerated by chemotherapy and may result in anticancer medications becoming toxic to heart tissue. Dr. Walsh is also exploring how astronauts’ exposure to radiation in space may promote or exacerbate this condition. By exploring the biological mechanisms that drive the mutation process and its consequences, the Walsh team aims to understand this emerging health condition.
Read more about Dr. Walsh’s research.
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