We study accumulation of cholesterol in arteries during atherogenesis and look for ways to identify individuals at high risk for development of cardiovascular disease.
LDL (low-density lipoprotein) carries cholesterol in the blood. Elevated LDL-cholesterol increases the risk of myocardial infarction, but cardiovascular risk is not determined by quantity alone. The quality of LDL particles also plays an important role in how they behave in the body.
We have developed a method to assess LDL quality by measuring its tendency to aggregate after enzymatic treatment. Aggregation-prone LDL particles can accumulate in the arterial wall, where they contribute to the formation of cholesterol-rich, inflamed plaques that may eventually rupture. We have shown that LDL from patients with cardiovascular disease is more prone to aggregation than LDL from healthy individuals.
Our research focuses on how lipoproteins, particularly LDL, become trapped in the arterial wall and trigger local inflammation. We investigate how the composition and modification of these particles influence their retention and aggregation, and how these processes contribute to plaque development. We also study how aggregated lipoproteins interact with cells in the arterial wall and promote inflammatory responses.
Although lipoprotein quality is partly determined by genetic factors, it can be improved through lifestyle and treatment. We study how diet and cholesterol-lowering therapies influence LDL composition and aggregation. Our goal is to identify new ways to improve lipoprotein quality and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Current Group members
Martina Lorey, postdoc
Andrew House, postdoc
Lauri Äikäs, postdoc
Alina Iakubovskaia, PhD student
Anni Niemelä, PhD student
Julia Salín, PhD student
Öörni K, Äikäs L, Ruuth M, Tigistu-Sahle F, Käkelä R, Wester I, Gylling H, Simonen P. High cholesterol absorption efficiency enhances proatherogenic properties of low-density lipoprotein particles.
J Intern Med. 2026 Jun;299(6):711-725. doi: 10.1111/joim.70085.
Äikäs L, Kovanen PT, Lorey MB, Laaksonen R, Holopainen M, Ruhanen H, Käkelä R, Jauhiainen M, Hermansson M, Öörni K. Icosapent ethyl-induced lipoprotein remodeling and its impact on cardiovascular disease risk markers in normolipidemic individuals. JCI Insight. 2025 Oct 8;10(19):e193637. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.193637.
Öörni K, Lorey MB. Beyond cholesterol: linking the conformation of apolipoprotein B to atherogenesis. Curr Opin Lipidol. 2025 Oct 1;36(5):226-231. doi: 10.1097/MOL.0000000000000997
Lahelma M, Qadri S, Ahlholm N, Porthan K, Ruuth M, Juuti A, Orešič M, Hyötyläinen T, Öörni K, Yki-Järvinen H. The human liver lipidome is significantly related to the lipid composition and aggregation susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles. Atherosclerosis. 2022 Dec: 363:22-29. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2022.11.018.
Lorey MB, Öörni K, Kovanen PT. Modified Lipoproteins Induce Arterial Wall Inflammation During Atherogenesis. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022 Mar 3:9:841545. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.841545
Ruuth M, Lahelma M, Luukkonen PK, Lorey MB, Qadri S, Sädevirta S, Hyötyläinen T, Kovanen PT, Hodson L, Yki-Järvinen H & Öörni K. Overfeeding saturated fat increases LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) aggregation susceptibility while overfeeding unsaturated fat decreases proteoglycan-binding of lipoproteins. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2021 Nov;41(11):2823-2836.
doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.120.315766.
Ruuth M., Äikäs L., Tigistu-Sahle F., Käkelä R., Lindholm H., Simonen P., Kovanen P. T., Gylling H. & Öörni K. Plant stanol esters reduce LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) aggregation by altering LDL surface lipids: The BLOOD FLOW randomized intervention study. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2020 Sep;40(9):2310-2321. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.120.31432
Ruuth M., Nguyen S. D., Vihervaara T., Hilvo M., Laajala T. D., Kondadi P. K., Gisterå A., Lähteenmäki H., Kittilä T., Huusko J., Uusitupa M., Schwab U., Savolainen M. J., Sinisalo J., Lokki M. L., Nieminen M. S., Jula A., Perola M., Ylä-Herttula S., Rudel L., Öörni A., Baumann M., Baruch A., Laaksonen R., Ketelhuth D. F. J., Aittokallio T., Jauhiainen M., Käkelä R., Borén J., Williams K. J., Kovanen P. T., Öörni K. Susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein particles to aggregate depends on particle lipidome, is modifiable, and associates with future cardiovascular deaths. Eur Heart J. 2018 Jul 14;39(27):2562-2573. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehy319
Lehti S., Nguyen S. D., Belevich I., Vihinen H., Heikkilä H. M., Soliymani R., Käkelä R., Saksi J., Jauhiainen M., Grabowski G. A., Kummu O., Hörkkö S., Baumann M., Lindsberg P. J., Jokitalo E., Kovanen P. T. & Öörni K. Extracellular lipids accumulate in human carotid arteries as distinct three-dimensional structures and have proinflammatory properties. Am J Pathol. 2018 Feb;188(2):525-538.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2017.09.019
