A tiny channel and a large vessel: A new clue for heart attack

Scientists at The University of Manchester and medical institutes in Italy have identified a gene variant that predisposes people to a special type of heart attack

2013-09-09

(Press-News.org) Scientists at The University of Manchester and medical institutes in Italy have identified a gene variant that predisposes people to a special type of heart attack. Their research, published in the International Journal of Cardiology could lead to the development of new drugs to treat the problem. Dr Paolo Tammaro, who led the team, said: "Heart attacks happen when the blood supply to the heart is reduced by the narrowing or blocking of the coronary artery – the vessel that supplies the heart with oxygen and nutrients. Often this is due to fatty deposits which narrow the vessel. However, in some people with perfectly clean arteries, the vessel suddenly constricts shutting off the blood supply. We have discovered that this process, known as vasospasm, can be associated with a rare variant of a particular gene." Dr Enzo Emanuele, from the University of Pavia, who screened the patients, said: "We knew that this type of heart attack occurs in about 6% of patients and that many of them have a genetic predisposition, but we did not know the gene responsible. Now that it is identified it will be possible to predict who is at risk and to treat them accordingly." The gene identified by the team encodes a protein termed KATP channel. This protein forms microscopic gated pores that allow potassium ions to move into and out of the cells, in this way giving rise to electrical impulses. Dr Tammaro and research scientist Keith Smith, both based at the Faculty of Life Sciences at The University of Manchester, added: "These channels are abundant in the cells forming the wall of coronary arteries, and the electrical impulses they generate govern this artery's diameter. Due to the mutation we have identified, the KATP channel in the coronary artery can no longer fulfill this delicate process."

### The team, whose work was supported by the BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council), now plans to approach pharmaceutical companies with their findings, aiming to design novel drugs that could interact with this new target.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Cleveland Clinic research: Most statin-intolerant patients can eventually tolerate statins

2013-09-09

Monday, September 9, 2013, Cleveland: Most patients who report statin intolerance, including muscle aches and other side effects from the cholesterol-lowering drugs, can actually tolerate drugs from this class on subsequent trials, according to research from Cleveland Clinic recently released online and forthcoming in the September issue of the American Heart Journal. The study is the largest ever to examine the effects of re-challenging statin-intolerant patients. Statins are among the most prescribed drugs in the world and are a first-line, highly effective therapy ...

Genome of elastomeric materials creates novel materials

2013-09-09

A wide range of biologically inspired materials may now be possible by combining protein studies, materials science and RNA sequencing, according to an international team of researchers. "Biological methods of synthesizing materials are not new," said Melik C. Demirel, professor of engineering science and mechanics, Penn State. "What is new is the application of these principles to produce unique materials." The researchers looked at proteins because they are the building blocks of biological materials and also often control sequencing, growth and self-assembly. RNA ...

Synthetic speech system puts a dampener on noisy announcements

2013-09-09

Public announcements in noisy places – such as railway stations, airports, or sports venues – could become quieter and clearer in future, thanks to new research. Scientists have developed software that can alter speech before it is broadcast over speakers, making it more audible amid background noise. In a bid to improve current synthetic voice technology, researchers studied how speech was perceived by listeners. They carried out tests to pinpoint the components of speech that are most easily heard by people in a noisy place. Experts at the University of Edinburgh, ...

eButton health monitor gets a facelift

2013-09-09

PITTSBURGH—A wearable, picture-taking health monitor created by University of Pittsburgh researchers has received a recent facelift. Now, in addition to documenting what a person eats, the eButton prototype can accurately match those images against a geometric-shape library, providing a much easier method for counting calories. Published in Measurement Science and Technology, the Pitt study demonstrates a new computational tool that has been added to the eButton—a device that fastens to the shirt like a pin. Using its newly built comprehensive food-shape library, the ...

Accidental nanoparticle discovery could hail revolution in manufacturing

2013-09-09

A nanoparticle shaped like a spiky ball, with magnetic properties, has been uncovered in a new method of synthesising carbon nanotubes by physicists at Queen Mary University of London and the University of Kent. Carbon nanotubes are hollow, cylindrical molecules that can be manipulated to give them useful properties. The nanoparticles were discovered accidentally on the rough surfaces of a reactor designed to grow carbon nanotubes. Described as sea urchins because of their characteristic spiny appearance, the particles consist of nanotubes filled with iron, with ...

Workshop report explores use of mass collaboration in disaster management

2013-09-09

WASHINGTON -- The growing use of social media and other mass collaboration technologies is opening up new opportunities in disaster management efforts, but is also creating new challenges for policymakers looking to incorporate these tools into existing frameworks, according to a new report from the Commons Lab at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Commons Lab, part of the Wilson Center's Science & Technology Innovation Program, hosted a September 2012 workshop bringing together emergency responders, crisis mappers, researchers, and software programmers ...

Science supporting abundant, nourishing food for a growing civilization

2013-09-09

Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 317-262-5907 (Indianapolis Press Center, Sept. 6-11) 202-872-6042 Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 317-262-5907 (Indianapolis Press Center, Sept. 6-11) 202-872-6293 American Chemical Society Science supporting abundant, nourishing food for a growing civilization INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 8, 2013 — The diets of people in North America shed almost 1.5 billion pounds of unhealthy saturated and trans fat over the last six years thanks to a new phase in an ongoing agricultural revolution, an expert said here today. In an ...

New weapons on the way to battle wicked weeds

2013-09-09

Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 317-262-5907 (Indianapolis Press Center, Sept. 6-11) 202-872-6042 Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 317-262-5907 (Indianapolis Press Center, Sept. 6-11) 202-872-6293 American Chemical Society New weapons on the way to battle wicked weeds INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 8, 2013 — A somber picture of the struggle against super-weeds emerged here today as scientists described the relentless spread of herbicide-resistant menaces like pigweed and horseweed that shrug off powerful herbicides and have forced farmers in some areas ...

New 'artificial nose' device can speed diagnosis of sepsis

2013-09-09

Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 317-262-5907 (Indianapolis Press Center, Sept. 6-11) 202-872-6042 Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 317-262-5907 (Indianapolis Press Center, Sept. 6-11) 202-872-6293 American Chemical Society New 'artificial nose' device can speed diagnosis of sepsis INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 8, 2013 — Disease-causing bacteria stink — literally — and the odor released by some of the nastiest microbes has become the basis for a faster and simpler new way to diagnose blood infections and finger the specific microbe, scientists reported ...

A new approach to early diagnosis of influenza

2013-09-09

Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 317-262-5907 (Indianapolis Press Center, Sept. 6-11) 202-872-6042 Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 317-262-5907 (Indianapolis Press Center, Sept. 6-11) 202-872-6293 American Chemical Society A new approach to early diagnosis of influenza INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 8, 2013 — A new technology is showing promise as the basis for a much-needed home test to diagnose influenza quickly, before the window for taking antiviral drugs slams shut and sick people spread the virus to others, scientists reported here today. In ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Increase in alcohol deaths in England an ‘acute crisis’

Government urged to tackle inequality in ‘low-carbon tech’ like solar panels and electric cars

Moffitt-led international study finds new drug delivery system effective against rare eye cancer

Boston stroke neurologist elected new American Academy of Neurology president

Center for Open Science launches collaborative health research replication initiative

Crystal L. Mackall, MD, FAACR, recognized with the 2025 AACR-Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology

A novel strategy for detecting trace-level nanoplastics in aquatic environments: Multi-feature machine learning-enhanced SERS quantification leveraging the coffee ring effect