PEA-15: a potential new drug target to stop blood vessels from re-narrowing after surgery

The regulation of phosphoprotein enriched in astrocytes-15 in vascular smooth muscle cells: a potential target in restenosis (Ms Pola Verschoor)

When blood vessels in the heart become narrowed or blocked surgeons must resume blood flow to prevent a heart-attack from occurring. Either a metal coil, called a stent, is inserted to hold the vessel open and allow blood to flow through it, or the blocked artery is bypassed using implanted blood vessels. Although relatively common procedures, in one fifth of patients the blood vessel will narrow again over time potentially damaging the heart. Professor Graeme Nixon from the University of Aberdeen is investigating whether he can prevent blood vessels from re-narrowing following surgery. He is looking for a drug that encourages the body’s production of PEA-15, a protein that stops cells from overgrowing within blood vessels. This is important because blood vessel re-narrowing after a stent or bypass procedure is often due to cell overgrowth. With BHF’s support, Professor Nixon is supervising a PhD student who will study blood vessels in mice to find out exactly what is causing this decrease in thePEA-15 protein. From there, the team will then look for drugs that can increase PEA-15 in blood vessels. This study could lead to new drugs that prevent blood vessels re-narrowing after surgery or stent treatment for a heart attack.