Studying the role of microRNAs in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The BHF / Clive Brooks Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellowship: Investigating the role of cardiac non-myocyte microRNAs in myocardial fibrosis and hypertrophy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

A common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young people is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). HCM occurs when cells in the heart muscle increase in size. Eventually they can cause the walls of the two cavities in the heart – known as the ventricles – to thicken and produce scar tissue. When the heart muscle is scarred, the electrical pathway through the heart can become disrupted. When this happens, life threatening heart rhythms can develop which can lead to cardiac arrest. Dr Eminaga is investigating how small pieces of genetic material called microRNAs may be involved in HCM. In recent years microRNAs have been shown to control gene expression in other forms of heart disease, but not in HCM. Dr Eminaga wants to find out whether there is a link between certain microRNAs and the changes in heart muscle seen in HCM. There is currently no treatment available that can reverse the damage done to the heart by HCM. The hope is that targeting microRNAs could be one way to treat the condition.