Understanding the heart’s protective mechanisms to prevent heart failure

Redox-regulated adaptive pathways in heart failure (renewal)  

The focus of most heart failure treatments is to prevent further degeneration of the heart muscle, a process called adverse cardiac remodelling. There is, however, another type of remodelling that is good for the heart. Adaptive remodelling helps to protect the heart against stress and further damage following a heart attack. Professor Ajay Shah and team at King’s College London will explore if it is possible to boost the heart’s own adaptive remodelling processes. The team have previously found that a molecule called NOX-4 can switch on a range of protective metabolic processes that help to keep the heart working as it should. These include changing how the heart uses fuels such as glucose and fat. This research will explore how these protective mechanisms work by studying them in genetically engineered mice, rat heart cells, stem cells and human heart tissue. The team will gather information about human heart metabolism in 30 people including those having heart valve replacement surgery. These people will receive an infusion of glucose before surgery that can be tracked. During surgery, a small sample of the heart tissue will be removed so different types of molecules associated with the heart’s metabolism can be analysed. Once they better understand the mechanisms involved in adaptive remodelling, they plan to develop potential drugs that can boost the process. They hope that this will lead to a new way to prevent heart failure.