Miao Wang, PhD | Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Hong Chen, PhD; Jinqing Yuan, MD; Qing Wan, PhD; Jianfeng Yang, MS; Haojie Rao, BS; Xuejian Yang, PhD candidate; Xiao Yu, PhD candidate; Tengyue Luo, PhD candidate
Competition Sponsor: Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Awardee Year: 2025
Vascular aging is central to healthy lifespan. “A man is as old as his arteries”. The close relationship between vascular health and longevity is well documented in Chinese medicine and Western medicine for centuries and has been validated by recent multi-omics studies. It is also evidenced by the fact that coronary artery disease (CAD), a disease mostly precipitated by aging, is the leading cause of death worldwide.
Inflammation drives CAD development and is increasingly appreciated as a hallmark of vascular aging, however, inflammatory targets that regulate both vascular ageing and CAD remain unclear. Harnessing an integrated approach and translational animal models of vascular aging and coronary atherosclerosis, combined with human coronary vascular assessment, we recently identified key targets of vascular inflammation (Circ Res, 2022 & 2025; Nat Commun, 2024; Cardiovasc Res 2025; etc).
To discover novel interventions of vascular aging-related diseases, this project will (1) identify key targets of coronary vascular aging and atherosclerosis; (2) clarify mechanisms of action of inflammatory targets; (3) develop novel drugs to prevent age-related cardiovascular diseases, CAD and heart failure. This project explores healthy aging by advancing the “vascular health” concept. It is expected to bring 1–2 patented investigational new drugs to phase I/II clinical trial stage.
Professor Miao Wang, the Principal Investigator, leads a translational discovery group at the State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital (also known as the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. He has both academic (University of Pennsylvania) and industrial (Pfizer) work experience.