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"Smooth muscle cell in vitro assays for the development of atherosclerosis therapies"

Lasse Bach Steffensen

Associate Professor

University of Southern Denmark

Head of the SIF project

 

M: lsteffensen@health.sdu.dk

T: +45 2553 1280

 

Aim

The SIF project (2025-2028) aims to develop smooth muscle cell-based in vitro assays that accurately model relevant cell phenotypes driving atherosclerosis.

It builds on the outcomes of the recently concluded THOR project (2020–2023), continuing and expanding this research focus.

Approach

The SIF project will use single-cell spatial transcriptomics to investigate the spatial context and transcriptional profiles of disease-modulating smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotypes. These insights, combined with existing knowledge, will drive the development of relevant SMC assays. Two complementary approaches will be employed: one using SMCs outgrown from human atherosclerotic plaques and another leveraging SMC spheroids. Both assays enable hypothesis-driven drug testing and will be scaled for industrial application to support compound library screening.

On this page, you can follow the SIF project as it progresses. You can also read a short introductory article on the project and you can find lists of project participants.

THE SIF TEAM

Academic team members

  • Lasse Bach Steffensen, Associate Professor, University of Southern Denmark

  • Jacob Fog Bentzon, Professor, Aarhus University

  • Lars Melholt Rasmussen, Professor, Odense University Hospital

  • Laura Alonso Herranz, Postdoc, Aarhus University

  • Anton Markov, Postdoc, Aarhus University

Industrial team member

  • Dimitra Aravani, Senior Research Scientist, Novo Nordisk

  • Anna Uryga, Director, Novo Nordisk

  • Charles Pyke, Novo Nordisk

  • Michael Nyberg, Vice President, Novo Nordisk

  • Qing-Dong Wang, Chief Scientist, AstraZeneca, Sweden

  • Kenny Hansson, Executive Director, AstraZeneca, Sweden

  • Ceri Michelle Wiggins, Director, AstraZeneca, UK

"The SIF project is committed to developing disease-relevant smooth muscle cell assays to bridge the gap between research and drug discovery. Beyond our immediate goals, I hope the data generated and assays developed through SIF will help catalyze future efforts to translate the ever-increasing biological knowledge of atherosclerosis into clinical applications. SIF greatly benefits from ODIN’s IP-free model, which reduces the administrative work required to enable collaboration between academia and industry partners while promoting open data sharing with the public."

 

Lasse Bach Steffensen, Head of the SIF project

INDUSTRY PARTNERS IN SIF

AstraZeneca is multinational biopharmaceutical company with many different focus areas - kidney diease is just one of them. The head quater of AstraZeneca is based in Sweden. 

Novo Nordisk is a Danish multinational pharmaceutical company most commonly known for products for treating diabetes. However, the company has focus areas within cardiometabolic diseases.

You can find out more about the industrial partners in SIF using the links below.

Read more about the SIF project and its members here

"The SIF collaboration allows us to apply advanced cellular models in atherosclerosis drug discovery. By combining AstraZeneca’s screening capabilities with the biological insight from SIF, we hope to uncover new and more effective therapeutic targets."

 

Qing-Dong Wang, AstraZeneca

"SIF provides a unique opportunity to understand smooth muscle cell behavior in its native environment and translate that knowledge into physiologically meaningful in vitro models. We’re excited to contribute with spatial transcriptomics and scientific input that can improve disease relevance in early discovery."

 

Dimitra Aravani, Novo Nordisk

"Smooth muscle cells are crucially involved in the development of human atherosclerosis, but the lack of in vitro assays that accurately model their behaviour in diseased arteries is a great obstacle for developing therapies. Our hope is that SIF will overcome these barriers and support the development of new therapies targeting rogue smooth muscle cells."

 

Jacob Fog Bentzon, Academic participant

“SIF unites a highly complementary team with diverse skills and resources across hospitals, universities, and industry, bringing together the necessary expertise to achieve our goals.”

 

Lars Melholt Rasmussen, Clinical participant

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ABOUT ODIN

ODIN brings researchers from academia and industry together to co-create need-driven research projects that can lead to new treatments, diagnostics, tools, and technologies. We fund the strongest project ideas through competitive funding calls. Companies cannot receive ODIN funding, but participation is free of charge and gives access to academic expertise, new collaborations, and opportunities to explore early-stage research challenges.

ODIN is supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Lundbeck Foundation.

CONTACT ODIN

You are welcome to contact us if you have questions or comments. Reach out to odin@au.dk.

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Revised 19.08.2026
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