Safe guarding the cell’s energy sources to protect the heart during a heart attack

The role of the novel mitochondrial fission proteins, MID49 and MID51, in the heart

Ischaemic heart disease commonly presents as a heart attack due to a blockage in one of the main heart arteries, depriving the heart muscle of oxygen and nutrients resulting in heart muscle injury. New treatments are required to protect the heart muscle from injury during a heart attack. One important strategy for doing this may be to protect the function of heart mitochondria during the heart attack, as mitochondria are responsible for producing the energy required for normal heart function and the recovery of heart muscle following a heart attack. The team has preliminary results showing that two newly discovered and closely related mitochondrial proteins, MiD 49 and 51, could impair mitochondrial function during a heart attack. The aim of this research project, taking place at The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute at University College London, will be to investigate whether targeting MiD49 and 51 can protect the heart muscle during a heart attack. If the researchers can show that MiD 49 and 51 are important treatment targets for protecting the heart muscle during a heart attack, new therapies may be developed to improve patient survival and reduce the onset of heart failure in patients after a heart attack.