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The VitaK-CAC study is a randomised, placebo-controlled Vitamin K-Coronary Artery Calcification (VitaK-CAC) study evaluating whether two years of daily supplementation with the vitamin K2 homologue menaquinone-7 (MK-7) could slow the progression of coronary artery calcification compared with placebo in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease lesions. The results show that those taking a daily tablet of 360 micrograms of MK7 had significantly less progression of coronary artery calcification and lower calcium mass after two years compared with those in the placebo arm. The patients taking MK-7 also had fewer non-calcified coronary plaques become partly calcified compared with placebo.

The trial, known as the VitaK-CAC study, enrolled 180 men and women with pre-existing coronary artery disease and baseline Agatston coronary artery calcification scores between 50 and 400. Participants were randomized to 360 mcg per day of MK-7 or placebo for 24 months. The primary imaging endpoint was progression of coronary artery calcification as measured by the Agatston score, a widely used computed tomography-based metric of calcified plaque burden.

At 24 months, the MK-7 group showed approximately 29% less progression in Agatston score compared with placebo. A consistent trend was observed for calcium mass score, considered a more precise marker of the calcification process than calcium volume, where the MK-7 group demonstrated approximately 42% less progression versus placebo. Thus, as both the Agatston and the calcium mass score pointed in the same direction, we are confident that MK-7 can slow down coronary calcification.

The MK-7 group also showed improved extrahepatic vitamin K status, with lower levels of dephosphorylated uncarboxylated matrix Gla protein, a validated biomarker of vitamin K-dependent calcification inhibition, alongside increased circulating MK-7 levels.

Vossen LM, de Leeuw PW, Schurgers LJ, Heuts S, Adriaans BP, de Haan C, van Varik BJ, Kroon AA. Two Years of Menaquinone-7 Supplementation and Coronary Artery Calcification: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Cardiol. 2026 Jun 10:e261279. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2026.1279.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has awarded funding to the RWTH Aachen with the SFB 1739, a multidisciplinary consortium focusing on the interplay between systemic diseases and periodontal tissue remodelling. The SFB 1739, entitled “Crosstalk between soft tissue and alveolar bone – effects of systemic diseases on periodontal remodelling”, aims to unravel the complex biological mechanisms that regulate the stability of the periodontal apparatus and the impact of cardiorenal comorbidities, in line with the AMICARE vision.

Professor Leon Schurgers, based at the Department of Biochemistry at Maastricht University and affiliated with the Cardiovascular Institute Maastricht, is actively involved in this ambitious research programme through his collaboration with RWTH Aachen University.

Periodontal remodelling plays a central role in maintaining oral health by ensuring the structural integrity of the tissues supporting teeth. Disruption of this process can lead to progressive tissue damage, bone loss, and ultimately tooth loss. Importantly, emerging evidence shows that systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and chronic inflammation significantly influence these mechanisms. The consortium brings together expertise from multiple disciplines to better understand these interactions and to develop more effective strategies for diagnosis and treatment.

Within SFB 1739, the group of Schurgers contributes expertise at the interface of cardiovascular biology and regenerative medicine. His research focuses on generating patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and differentiating them into periodontal ligament stem cell-like (iPDLSC) populations. This innovative approach enables the investigation of disease mechanisms in a patient-tailored manner, providing a unique platform to study how systemic conditions impact periodontal remodelling at the cellular and molecular level. By integrating advanced stem cell technology with translational disease models, this work contributes directly to the consortium’s goal of developing targeted and mechanism-based therapies.

A prestigious long-term research framework

Collaborative Research Centres funded by the DFG represent large-scale, long-term research initiatives that typically run for up to twelve years. They are designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and are widely recognised as key indicators of scientific excellence.

The participation of Maastricht University in this German SFB underscores the strength of AMICARE, a collaborative initiative between Maastricht University and RWTH Aachen. Through his dual affiliation with RWTH Aachen University, Leon Schurgers exemplifies the cross-border integration of expertise essential for tackling complex, systemic diseases.

The CARTA consortium has officially launched with a highly engaging and productive kick-off meeting at Maastricht University. The CARTA project, funded through the Public-Private Partnership by Health Holland and the Netherlands Heart Institute, brings together leading academic, clinical, and industrial partners including Maastricht University (Biochemistry and BME), the Netherlands Heart Institute (NLHI) and Optics11Life, together with a user committee including STEMCELL Technologies, CARIM staff, BioSPX, DEMCON, and clinicians from the MUMC+.

CARTA introduces a patient-specific “virtual biopsy” platform. From a single blood sample, we generate induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)–derived cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells, which are assembled into three-dimensional engineered heart (EHT) and vascular (EVT) tissues. Based on the Optics11Life Cuore system, we will further develop 3D high-resolution assessments—force, electrophysiology, and mechanical stress—to produce quantitative, individualized profiles.

Using the Cuore platform, advanced human-relevant 3D tissue models, and functional phenotyping technologies will help generate new insights into disease mechanisms, identify potential biomarkers, and accelerate the development of more predictive cardiovascular models.

CARIM: Leon Schurgers, Rogier Veltrop, Pepijn Sarabèr, Koen Reesink.