Project Summary: Scientific Core The overall goal of Core 2 is to provide the key resources, including mice bred-in-house; primary cells from mice (endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes and bone marrow derived macrophages); and surgical procedures on mice required for two of the three Projects. Further, this Core provides proteins/mutant proteins of RAGE, DIAPH1 and MFN2 that are required for the three Projects. In addition, the entire Program Project is served by the data management and biostatistical component of this Core. The rationale to centralize these key activities is to ensure rigorous data management and biostatistical support, resource and procedural consistency, and maximal and most efficient use of resources throughout the Program Project. All three Projects will use this Core 2 over all five years of the Program Project. The five Specific Aims of this core are as follows: Specific Aim 1 will provide data management and biostatistical support; Specific Aim 2 will perform the breeding of the mice to be employed in this Program project; Specific Aim 3 will perform the surgical procedures to induce ischemia and reperfusion injuries to mice in this Program Project; Specific Aim 4 will isolate and characterize the primary macrophages, cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells to be employed in this Program Project ; Specific Aim 5 will prepare and characterize purified proteins and site-directed mutants of RAGE, DIAPH1 and MFN2 to be employed in this Program Project. AIMS 1-4 are based at the NYU School of Medicine/NYU Langone Health, while AIM 5 takes place at the SUNY at Albany. All of the necessary facilities and equipment are available at NYU School of Medicine/NYU Langone Health and at the SUNY at Albany to successfully carry out the proposed studies. The Core leader and Core Co-Investigator have all of the necessary expertise and experience to oversee these core functions. Letters are provided and appended to this Core indicating that there is NO OVERLAP of the five specific aims of this Core with NYU- or Albany-institutionally funded-Cores. This core is in full compliance with the instructions for scientific cores within NHLBI Program Projects. Core 2 serves all three projects of the Program over all 5 years of the Program Project.