Rabbit models to study atherosclerosis and its complications - Transgenic vascular protein expression in vivo

Local virally mediated gene transfer to atherosclerotic rabbit arteries has been established as a rapid and reproducible method to test interesting transgenes. Histological plaque features correspond well to alterations in patients (inflammation and lipid load). Thus, effects of any proteins can be studied directly in the arteriosclerotic disease background - much quicker than after germline transgenesis and cross-breeding.