Research group Vascular medicine

Achievements

We investigate the role of inflammation and the innate immune system in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. We mainly focus on atherosclerosis and its risk factors (obesity, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension), but we also have research projects on aortic valve stenosis, and (cerebral) small vessel disease. Our research is characterized by a translational approach, using blood or isolated primary immune cells from patient cohorts with well characterized cardiovascular diseases or risk factors.

In the past ten years our main achievements have been:

1. the finding that innate immune memory (i.e. trained immunity) contributes to atherogenesis, providing potential new pharmacological targets.
2. insight into (inflammatory) mechanisms that determine the metabolic and cardiovascular complications of obesity. 

Publications

See the publication list of the research group leader on Web of Science.

• A selection of our publications

  • Los J, Broeders W, Bahrar H, Bulut Ö, Bekkering S, den Boeft A, Sumpter N, Cetinyurek-Yavuz A, Hol IH, Netea MG, Cornel JH, El Messaoudi S, Riksen NP. Effect of 2 Weeks of Time-Restricted Eating on Innate Immunity and Systemic Inflammation in Patients With a History of Myocardial Infarction: A Randomized- Controlled Crossover Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2026 Apr 21;15(8):e048092. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.125.048092
  • Riksen NP, Netea MG, Ait-Oufella H, Chavakis T, Hajishengallis G. Trained immunity in cardiovascular disease. Eur Heart J. 2026 Mar 9;47(10):1159-1170. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf982. 
  • Broeders W, van Broekhoven A, Cetinyurek-Yavuz A, Zegers E, Duijnhouwer AL, Netea MG, Bekkering S, van Royen N, El Messaoudi S, Riksen NP. Pro-inflammatory monocytes in patients with calcific aortic valve disease. Cardiovasc Res. 2025 Nov 22;121(14):2131-2133. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvaf148.
  • Flores-Gomez D, Hobo W, van Ens D, Kessler EL, Novakovic B, Schaap NPM, Rijnen WHC, Joosten LAB, Netea MG, Riksen NP, Bekkering S. Interleukin-1β induces trained innate immunity in human hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro. Stem Cell Reports. 2024 Dec 10;19(12):1651-1664. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2024.09.004.
  • Lavillegrand JR, Al-Rifai R, Thietart S, Guyon T, Vandestienne M, Cohen R, Duval V, Zhong X, Yen D, Ozturk M, Negishi Y, Konkel J, Pinteaux E, Lenoir O, Vilar J, Laurans L, Esposito B, Bredon M, Sokol H, Diedisheim M, Saliba AE, Zernecke A, Cochain C, Haub J, Tedgui A, Speck NA, Taleb S, Mhlanga MM, Schlitzer A, Riksen NP, Ait-Oufella H. Alternating high-fat diet enhances atherosclerosis by neutrophil reprogramming. Nature. 2024 Oct;634(8033):447-456. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07693-6. 
  • Menaker Y, van den Munckhof I, Scarpa A, Placek K, Brandes-Leibovitz R, Glantzspiegel Y, Joosten LAB, Rutten JHW, Netea MG, Gat-Viks I, Riksen NP. Stratification of Atherosclerosis based on Plasma Metabolic States. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2024 Apr 19;109(5):1250-1262. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgad672.
  • Noz MP, Bekkering S, Groh L, Nielen TM, Lamfers EJ, Schlitzer A, El Messaoudi S, van Royen N, Huys EH, Preijers FW, Smeets EM, Aarntzen EH, Zhang B, Li Y, Bremmers ME, van der Velden WJ, Dolstra H, Joosten LA, Gomes ME, Netea MG, Riksen NP. Reprogramming of bone marrow myeloid progenitor cells in patients with severe coronary artery disease. Elife. 2020 Nov 10;9:e60939. doi: 10.7554/eLife.60939.
  • Ter Horst R, van den Munckhof ICL, Schraa K, Aguirre-Gamboa R, Jaeger M, Smeekens SP, Brand T, Lemmers H, Dijkstra H, Galesloot TE, de Graaf J, Xavier RJ, Li Y, Joosten LAB, Rutten JHW, Netea MG, Riksen NP. Sex-Specific Regulation of Inflammation and Metabolic Syndrome in Obesity. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2020 Jul;40(7):1787-1800. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.120.314508.
  • van der Heijden CDCC, Groh L, Keating ST, Kaffa C, Noz MP, Kersten S, van Herwaarden AE, Hoischen A, Joosten LAB, Timmers HJLM, Netea MG, Riksen NP. Catecholamines Induce Trained Immunity in Monocytes In Vitro and In Vivo. Circ Res. 2020 Jul 3;127(2):269-283. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.119.315800
  • Bekkering S, Arts RJW, Novakovic B, Kourtzelis I, van der Heijden CDCC, Li Y, Popa CD, Ter Horst R, van Tuijl J, Netea-Maier RT, van de Veerdonk FL, Chavakis T, Joosten LAB, van der Meer JWM, Stunnenberg H, Riksen NP, Netea MG. Metabolic Induction of Trained Immunity through the Mevalonate Pathway. Cell. 2018 Jan 11;172(1-2):135-146.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.11.025.