biotech

REST Protein May Halt Cardiac Hypertrophy

Filed in archive Drugs, Vaccines and Therapeutics , Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics on June 6, 2007

REST Protein May Halt Cardiac Hypertrophy
Researchers have discovered that the progression of cardiac hypertrophy can be halted by increasing one of the body's naturally occurring proteins known as REST. Cardiac hypertrophy is a relatively common condition characterized by an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle.
Dr Ooi's study is the first to identify the mechanism behind specific changes in protein levels that impact upon cardiac cell size. Levels of two proteins, known as ANP and BNP, are naturally higher in foetal hearts and the hearts of babies and children, but should drop as an individual matures. However, in adults with cardiac hypertrophy these levels increase to become abnormally high.

Dr Ooi has found that an increase in a third protein in the body, known as REST, can halt the rise of the proteins causing cardiac hypertrophy, which, for the first time, offers an approach to treating the cause of heart hypertrophy rather than its symptoms.


Source : University of Leeds, Image Credit: Patrick J. Lynch


Permalink: REST Protein May Halt Cardiac Hypertrophy

Tags: cardiac+hypertrophy  enlarged+heart  cardiovascular+disease  proteomics  500+Internal+Server+Error+rea 

Vote for REST Protein May Halt Cardiac Hypertrophy:

  • Currently 6.67/10
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
Rating: 6.67 out of 3 vote(s) cast.
 
Share It
RSSrss
Google google
Yahoo! yahoo
Addthis Subscribe using any feed reader!
Bloglines Bloglines
Most Popular   Best of   Biotech Hubs and Facilities   Biotech/Science Blogs   Corporate and Industrial News   Diagnostics, Methodologies and Instrumentation   Did you know   Drugs, Vaccines and Therapeutics   Energy, Environment and Ecology   Food and Agriculture   Gene Therapy   Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics   Information About   Meetings and Other Events   Microbiology   Misc   Nanomedicine   Other Biotechnology News   Patents and Intellectual Property Rights   Quick introduction   Stem Cells