Mechanism of Sulf1/Sulf2 functioning cardiovascular development and myocardial repair
Professor Gurtej Dhoot is working out how two enzymes called Sulf1 and Sulf2 are involved in forming new blood vessels to repair damaged heart muscle. The heart pumps blood containing oxygen and nutrients around the body but also needs its own blood supply to work efficiently. If heart muscle is damaged such as during a heart attack, it cannot pump effectively. For heart muscle to recover, scientists need to find a way of encouraging new blood vessels to grow to nourish the damaged heart tissue. . Professor Dhoot has recently discovered that enzymes called Sulf1 and Sulf2 control the potency of growth factors that promote blood vessel formation, and she believes they help to generate new blood vessels to supply the injured heart. In this project, Professor Dhoot will find out what roles Sulf1 and Sulf2 have in boosting blood vessel growth in the injured heart in mice. She will work out the molecular structure and function of two Sulf1 and Sulf2 variants to reveal how their molecular differences enable them to either boost or block blood vessel growth and help the heart to recover after a heart attack. Understanding how these enzymes work and how best to apply them to the injured heart could reveal new ways to restore heart function and treat heart and circulatory disease.
Project details
| Grant amount | £230,151 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 01 October 2016 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | PG/15/78/31771 |
| Status | In Progress |
