H+ ion control and signalling in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure (renewal)
Living cells naturally generate acid while carrying out the processes that allow them to do their respective jobs. This acid is toxic to the body, so it is transported out of cells into the bloodstream, and removed by the lungs and kidneys. In the heart muscle cells that make the heart beat, specialised proteins called NHEs and NBCs control acid levels and pump acid out into the blood if it gets too high. But if these proteins become abnormally active, they disturb the normal calcium control process in cells, and the heart muscle cannot beat properly. Heart muscle contractions become weak, which can eventually lead to heart failure. Disturbed calcium control in heart muscle cells also predisposes to abnormal heart rhythms. Professor Vaughan-Jones examines cells from animal hearts, specifically sheep and rodents, with enlarged hearts and heart failure to determine what causes NHE and NBC activity to become abnormal, and how this disturbs calcium within cells. He will use new drugs and genetic techniques to alter the activity of these proteins, and find out if this restores normal cellular calcium and prevents heart failure developing. Heart failure is debilitating and there is currently no cure. Understanding what happens to these proteins in enlarged hearts and heart failure may reveal new ways to treat the condition.
Project details
| Grant amount | £1,256,574 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Chairs & Programme Grants |
| Application type | Programme Grant |
| Start Date | 01 February 2016 |
| Duration | 5 years |
| Reference | RG/15/9/31534 |
| Status | In Progress |
