Receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinases, RIPK1 and RIPK3, in cardiac myocyte apoptosis and necroptosis
Professor Angela Clerk is studying how heart muscle cells die after a heart attack to identify points where we could intervene and prevent it. The team is studying a new form of cell death called necroptosis, which could be important in the development of heart failure. In other cells, necroptosis involves two enzymes, RIPK1 and RIPK3. These enzymes dictate whether cells survive or die, and how they will die. This pathway has not been studied in detail in the heart, so understanding how these enzymes work in the heart may reveal new ways to treat heart disease. Professor Clerk has already found that RIPK1 and RIPK3 are present in heart muscle cells and are controlled by external stresses. In this project, Professor Clerk will identify the proteins which RIPK1 and RIPK3 interact with in response to different stresses to work out how they protect heart cells, or determine how they will die. This research may show that RIPK1 and RIPK3 play a significant role in heart muscle cell survival and death, and will define the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes. This work could reveal how best to intervene using drugs to offer the best chance of treating people after a heart attack and preventing heart failure.
Project details
| Grant amount | £217,512 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 01 October 2015 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | PG/15/31/31393 |
| Status | Complete |
