May 14, 2018
A new research study led by CVRC trainer, Alexey Glukhov, PhD, assistant professor, Cardiovascular Medicine, has been awarded awarded $1.9 M over 5 years by the National Institutes of Health – National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH-NHLBI).
The study, “Functional Microdomains in the Heart’s Pacemaker: A New Dimension of Cardiac Remodeling,” will focus on determining whether a heart protein called caveolin-3 is involved in sinus node dysfunction.
Dr. Glukhov’s research team hopes the work will lead to identifying better treatment options. “This study will allow us to design more effective therapeutic approaches aimed at preventing the degradation or promoting the restoration of cardiac cytoarchitecture,” he wrote.
Caveolins are proteins that form the structure of caveolae, which are pinched-in regions of cell membranes. Caveolin-3 is found in the membrane of muscle cells, including heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes). Previous research by Dr. Glukhov and others suggests that natural pacemaking activity in the heart involves the caveolae of cardiomyocytes, and the Glukhov laboratory hypothesizes that caveolin-3 organizes signaling complexes required to maintain a steady heartbeat.
“We want to ascertain if caveolin-3 is a crucial protein involved in sinoatrial node dysfunction, and understand its potential as a target to restore sinoatrial node functioning in heart disease,” wrote Dr. Glukhov.
Read more here: UW Madison Vital Signs