How do the class I PI3K isoforms contribute to reperfusion injury and ischaemic preconditioning?
Professor Derek Yellon and his colleagues at University College London (UCL) are working out which proteins can protect the heart from damage when blood supply is restored to the heart muscle after a heart attack. Damage caused by the delayed restoration of blood flow is called ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury and can cause serious damage to heart muscle. Professor Yellon is studying ischaemic preconditioning (IPC), where removing and restoring blood flow for a short period can protect heart muscle from injury. He has identified a protective molecular signalling pathway called the ‘RISK pathway’. Several members of the ‘PI3K’ family of proteins are involved in this pathway, but we don’t yet understand which is the most important. In this project, Professor Yellon and the team are collaborating with a world-renowned group of cancer researchers at UCL who are experts in the PI3K family of proteins. The team will determine which of the PI3K proteins are most important in protecting the heart from injury and what each one does during IR injury and IPC. This research could identify new ways to protect the hearts of people at risk of a heart attack, using drugs which target PI3K proteins.
Project details
| Grant amount | £214,574 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 01 October 2017 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | PG/16/85/32471 |
| Status | In Progress |
