Resistance arteries are an underexplored biology with broad therapeutic potential

Why have resistance arteries remained underexplored?

Resistance arteries and arterioles represent the primary regulators of tissue perfusion, oxygen delivery, and blood pressure. Despite this critical role, these vessels have remained poorly characterized due to technical challenges: 
  • Resistance arteries are <200μm in diameter
  • Few integrated technologies for functional assessments
  • Too small for routine clinical imaging
QP scientists have invested years of research into developing specialized skills, techniques and platforms to understand the structure and function of microscopically small blood vessels.

The mechanics of resistance arteries

QP has built its scientific foundation around the unique biology of resistance arteries, with a particular focus on the myogenic response - a predominant force driving vascular tone and regulation of blood flow to critical organs like the brain and skeletal muscle.
When compromised, resistance artery dysfunction contributes to impaired cerebral perfusion, increased cardiac afterload, tissue hypoxia, and progressive organ dysfunction. Rather than treating symptoms downstream, our therapeutic strategies focus on restoring microvascular mechanisms that promote disease progression upstream.
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Regulatory Hotspots
Resistance arteries control capillary pressure, organ-specific blood flow and systemic blood pressure
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One
Mechanism
The “Myogenic Response” allows resistance arteries to adapt their diameter to changes in pressure
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System-Wide Impact
Resistance artery dysfunction affects virtually every organ
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Multiple
Indications
Focus on resistance arteries enables mechanism-driven therapeutic strategies across many diseases

One underlying biological mechanism connected to a diverse range of diseases

Our research uncovered that resistance artery dysfunction is not merely a consequence of disease, but a common disease-driving mechanism shared across virtually every organ. By focussing on the myogenic response, QP's therapeutic targets have widespread application across multiple severe and life-limiting conditions.
  • CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
    • Cognitive impairment in Heart Failure (HFrEF & HFpEF)
    • Increased TPR and reduced tissue perfusion
    • Vascular dementia
  • NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS
    • Vascular Cognitive Impairment / Small Vessel Disease
    • Migraine (especially with aura)
    • Cerebral Small Vessel Ischemic Disease (e.g., lacunar stroke)
  • PULMONARY DISEASES
    • Pulmonary Hypertension (Group 1 and Group 2 components)
    • Post-COVID (Long COVID) Syndromes
  • OPHTHALMOLOGIC DISEASES
    • Diabetic Retinopathy (early stages)
    • Glaucoma (normal-tension subtype)
  • RENAL DISEASE
    • Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) progression
    • Hypertensive Nephropathy
  • DERMATOLOGIC / PERIPHERAL VASCULAR
    • Chronic Wound Healing (e.g., diabetic foot ulcers)
    • Raynaud’s Phenomenon
  • PAIN & FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
  • METABOLIC & SYSTEMIC DISEASES
    • Type 2 Diabetes–related Microvascular Complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy)
    • Insulin Resistance & Metabolic Syndrome
  • RHEUMATOLOGIC/INFLAMMATORY DISEASES
    • Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma)
    • Lupus (SLE) with vascular involvement
  • ONCOLOGY (EMERGING AREA)
    • Tumor Microenvironment Hypoxia
    • Abnormal microvasculature affects drug delivery and resistance

Scientific depth commanding the microvascular domain

For more than 25 years, the scientific foundation behind QP has been developed through seminal microvascular research at the University of Toronto. This work uncovered that dysfunction in resistance arteries is not merely a consequence of disease, but a disease-driving mechanism shared across multiple severe and life-limiting conditions, including heart failure, cognitive impairment, subarachnoid hemorrhage, hypertension, and vascular dementia.

Publications

Research at QP is made possible through a dynamic network of private investors, academic collaborators, and support from regulatory bodies in the public sector.

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