MicroRNA-mediated proarrhythmic mechanisms in atrial fibrillation
BHF Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellow Dr Svetlana Reilly is studying how a small molecule called microRNA 31 (miR31) causes heart muscle changes in atrial fibrillation. Arrhythmias occur when the heart’s normal rhythm becomes disturbed; they can affect quality of life and can be life-threatening. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia that is challenging to treat because it causes electrical and structural changes in the atria – the upper chambers of the heart. Dr Reilly has found that raised miR31 levels in heart cells, called cardiomyocytes, contribute to electrical changes in the heart of people with AF. She has also discovered that miR31 levels rise within another heart cell type, atrial fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are the cells that are involved in heart scarring (fibrosis), which is found in AF, suggesting that miR31 could contribute to this scarring process. Atrial electrical and structural remodelling in AF may therefore originate from the same molecule – miR31. In this project, Dr Reilly will investigate how miR-31 affects the structure of the atrium and what causes the amounts of miR-31 to rise in different types of atrial cell. Although AF can be treated with drugs, they are not always effective. Understanding how electrical and structural changes in the atria happen will help us develop new, effective treatments for AF.
Project details
| Grant amount | £912,119 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Fellowships |
| Application type | Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellowship |
| Start Date | 01 March 2016 |
| Duration | 6 years |
| Reference | FS/16/5/32054 |
| Status | In Progress |
