Role of Rho kinase in ventricular development and adult heart disease
Abnormalities in the structure and function of the heart cause congenital heart disease (when babies are born with a heart defect) and also cause heart disease in the adult. The muscle cells of the heart change shape during development in the womb and again in a diseased heart, and both processes may be controlled by a common mechanism. Dr Helen Phillips and colleagues at Newcastle University aim to determine the roles of a gene called Rho kinase in heart development and in adult heart disease. The Rho kinase pathway is activated in heart diseases, such as cardiomyopathy, coronary heart disease and heart failure. By understanding the function of Rho kinase during development, Dr Philips aims to establish how it contributes to adult heart conditions, with the long term goal of being able to block its harmful actions in heart disease.
Project details
| Grant amount | £693,405 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Fellowships |
| Application type | Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellowship |
| Start Date | 15 June 2011 |
| Duration | 4 years |
| Reference | FS/11/20/28857 |
| Status | Complete |
