PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Genetic markers may predict when people with heart disease are likely to have a heart attack

Results of the study could help the 715,000 Americans who suffer from heart attacks each year

2014-03-30
(Press-News.org) Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City have identified a biological process that may help physicians predict when someone with heart disease is likely to have a heart attack in the near future.

A new study by the team has identified plasma levels of two markers – microRNA 122 and 126 – that appear to decline a few days before a person suffers a heart attack. Results of the study could help the 715,000 Americans who suffer from heart attacks each year.

"It's always been a mystery trying to identify people with heart disease who are at imminent risk of having a heart attack," says Oxana Galenko, DBMSC, with the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, who is the lead researcher in the study. "Currently, there's no blood test that allows us to say, 'yes, this person will likely have a heart attack in the near future'. But identifying what happens to these markers has given us a place to start."

Researchers will present results of the study at the 2014 American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions in Washington, DC, on Sunday, March 30 at 3:45 p.m. EDT.

During a heart attack, one of the coronary arteries that feed blood into the heart becomes completely blocked, preventing necessary oxygen and nourishment from reaching the heart muscle. When this happens, the heart muscle dies and never recovers resulting in heart failure or death.

The discovery of the diminishing microRNA markers began with the understanding of a basic process in biology known as the central dogma. DNA contains the genetic information an organism uses to grow and develop. Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) communicates this information to the rest of the body and translates the genetic information into protein. This is known as gene expression.

In 1993 scientists discovered small forms of RNA didn't follow standard translation patterns. These forms, known as microRNA, weren't making proteins, but rather were interfering with mRNA to prevent translation.

At the same time, physicians at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute created the Intermountain Heart Study Registry, which includes blood samples from a massive number of heart patients for research. Today the registry contains more than 30,000 DNA samples.

Galenko and her team looked at samples in the registry from 30 patients who had suffered a heart attack within 44 days of having their blood collected.

Researchers examined factors such as age, gender, race, elevated amounts of or cholesterol in the bloodstream, high blood pressure, and diabetes. They noticed that within two weeks of experiencing a heart attack, patient's microRNA 122 and 126 dramatically dropped.

The result: Galenko believes that something about these microRNAs being present and interrupting the translation process prevents people with heart disease from having a heart attack.

"MicroRNAs turn things off. Whatever they usually turn off in people with heart disease before a heart attack isn't being turned off when microRNA levels are reduced, which may be causing something else to be activated," she says. "MicroRNAs act like a watch dog, and when their levels are reduced, heart disease takes a turn for the worse and heart attacks are likely to occur."

Further research is needed to find out more about what takes place when the microRNAs disappear, says Galenko.

"We need to do additional research with more samples, but we've found a pattern that may help us understand the factors that lead to a heart attack, and we've developed a lot more questions that further research will help answer," she says.

"Ultimately, our goal is to develop a test that predicts when a heart attack is going to occur in patients with heart disease," Galenko adds. "This would help physicians intervene proactively and stop heart attacks from happening. There are monitors people wear that detect blood chemistry, and if we really wanted to look into the future, perhaps we could develop something similar, something people who are at risk for a heart attack could wear to monitor these microRNAs."

INFORMATION: Other Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute researchers in the study are: Stacey Knight, PhD, Raymond McCubrey, M Stat, Tyler Miyawaki, Staci Gunter, John Carlquist, PhD, and Jeffrey Anderson, MD.

Intermountain Medical Center is the flagship hospital for the Intermountain Healthcare system, which is based in Salt Lake City. END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Researchers uncover secrets of a mollusk's unique bioceramic armor

2014-03-30
CAMBRIDGE, Mass-- The shells of a sea creature, the mollusk Placuna placenta, are not only exceptionally tough, but also clear enough to read through. Now, researchers at MIT have analyzed these shells to determine exactly why they are so resistant to penetration and damage — even though they are 99 percent calcite, a weak, brittle mineral. The shells' unique properties emerge from a specialized nanostructure that allows optical clarity, as well as efficient energy dissipation and the ability to localize deformation, the researchers found. The results are published this ...

New study finds strong link between obesity and 'carb breakdown' gene

2014-03-30
Researchers at King's College London and Imperial College London have discovered that people with fewer copies of a gene coding for a carb-digesting enzyme may be at higher risk of obesity. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, suggest that dietary advice may need to be more tailored to an individual's digestive system, based on whether they have the genetic predisposition and necessary enzymes to digest different foods. Salivary amylase plays a significant role in breaking down carbohydrates in the mouth at the start of the digestion process. The new study suggests ...

Earth's dynamic interior

Earths dynamic interior
2014-03-30
VIDEO: This video shows a numerical simulation of Earth's deep mantle. The top panel is temperature and the bottom panel is composition which includes three components: the more-primitive reservoir at the... Click here for more information. TEMPE, Ariz. – Seeking to better understand the composition of the lowermost part of Earth's mantle, located nearly 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) below the surface, a team of Arizona State University researchers has developed new simulations ...

Heat-conducting polymer cools hot electronic devices at 200 degrees C

Heat-conducting polymer cools hot electronic devices at 200 degrees C
2014-03-30
Polymer materials are usually thermal insulators. But by harnessing an electropolymerization process to produce aligned arrays of polymer nanofibers, researchers have developed a thermal interface material able to conduct heat 20 times better than the original polymer. The modified material can reliably operate at temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius. The new thermal interface material could be used to draw heat away from electronic devices in servers, automobiles, high-brightness LEDs and certain mobile devices. The material is fabricated on heat sinks and heat ...

Scientists pinpoint why we miss subtle visual changes, and why it keeps us sane

2014-03-30
Ever notice how Harry Potter's T-shirt abruptly changes from a crewneck to a henley shirt in "The Order of the Phoenix," or how in "Pretty Woman," Julia Roberts' croissant inexplicably morphs into a pancake? Don't worry if you missed those continuity bloopers. Vision scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered an upside to the brain mechanism that can blind us to subtle changes in movies and in the real world. They've discovered a "continuity field" in which the brain visually merges similar objects ...

A new approach to Huntington's disease?

2014-03-30
Tweaking a specific cell type's ability to absorb potassium in the brain improved walking and prolonged survival in a mouse model of Huntington's disease, reports a UCLA study published March 30 in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience. The discovery could point to new drug targets for treating the devastating disease, which strikes one in every 20,000 Americans. Huntington's disease is passed from parent to child through a mutation in the huntingtin gene. By killing brain cells called neurons, the progressive disorder gradually deprives patients of their ability ...

Erasing a genetic mutation

2014-03-30
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Using a new gene-editing system based on bacterial proteins, MIT researchers have cured mice of a rare liver disorder caused by a single genetic mutation. The findings, described in the March 30 issue of Nature Biotechnology, offer the first evidence that this gene-editing technique, known as CRISPR, can reverse disease symptoms in living animals. CRISPR, which offers an easy way to snip out mutated DNA and replace it with the correct sequence, holds potential for treating many genetic disorders, according to the research team. "What's exciting about ...

Effect of important air pollutants may be absent from key precipitation observations

2014-03-30
Pioneering new research from the University of Exeter could have a major impact on climate and environmental science by drastically transforming the perceived reliability of key observations of precipitation, which includes rain, sleet and snow. The ground breaking study examines the effect that increased aerosol concentrations in the atmosphere, emitted as a result of burning fossil fuels, had on regional temperature and precipitation levels. Scientists from Exeter's Mathematics department compared observed regional temperature and precipitation changes throughout ...

Genetic mutations warn of skin cancer risk

2014-03-30
Researchers have discovered that mutations in a specific gene are responsible for a hereditary form of melanoma. Every year in the UK, almost 12,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer. About 1 in 20 people with melanoma have a strong family history of the disease. In these patients, pinpointing the genetic mutations that drive disease development allows dermatologists to identify people who should be part of melanoma surveillance programmes. The team found that people with specific mutations in the POT1 gene were extremely likely to develop melanoma. ...

Scripps Florida scientists offer 'best practices' nutrition measurement for researchers

2014-03-30
JUPITER, FL, March 30, 2014 – At first glance, measuring what the common fruit fly eats might seem like a trivial matter, but it is absolutely critical when it comes to conducting studies of aging, health, metabolism and disease. How researchers measure consumption can make all the difference in the accuracy of a study's conclusions. Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have developed what amounts to a best practices guide to the most accurate way of measuring fruit fly food consumption that could lead to more informed research and ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Twelve questions to ask your doctor for better brain health in the new year

Microelectronics Science Research Centers to lead charge on next-generation designs and prototypes

Study identifies genetic cause for yellow nail syndrome

New drug to prevent migraine may start working right away

Good news for people with MS: COVID-19 infection not tied to worsening symptoms

Department of Energy announces $179 million for Microelectronics Science Research Centers

Human-related activities continue to threaten global climate and productivity

Public shows greater acceptance of RSV vaccine as vaccine hesitancy appears to have plateaued

Unraveling the power and influence of language

Gene editing tool reduces Alzheimer’s plaque precursor in mice

TNF inhibitors prevent complications in kids with Crohn's disease, recommended as first-line therapies

Twisted Edison: Bright, elliptically polarized incandescent light

Structural cell protein also directly regulates gene transcription

Breaking boundaries: Researchers isolate quantum coherence in classical light systems

Brain map clarifies neuronal connectivity behind motor function

Researchers find compromised indoor air in homes following Marshall Fire

Months after Colorado's Marshall Fire, residents of surviving homes reported health symptoms, poor air quality

Identification of chemical constituents and blood-absorbed components of Shenqi Fuzheng extract based on UPLC-triple-TOF/MS technology

'Glass fences' hinder Japanese female faculty in international research, study finds

Vector winds forecast by numerical weather prediction models still in need of optimization

New research identifies key cellular mechanism driving Alzheimer’s disease

Trends in buprenorphine dispensing among adolescents and young adults in the US

Emergency department physicians vary widely in their likelihood of hospitalizing a patient, even within the same facility

Firearm and motor vehicle pediatric deaths— intersections of age, sex, race, and ethnicity

Association of state cannabis legalization with cannabis use disorder and cannabis poisoning

Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia and future neurological disorders

Adoption of “hospital-at-home” programs remains concentrated among larger, urban, not-for-profit and academic hospitals

Unlocking the mysteries of the human gut

High-quality nanodiamonds for bioimaging and quantum sensing applications

New clinical practice guideline on the process for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of cognitive impairment or dementia

[Press-News.org] Genetic markers may predict when people with heart disease are likely to have a heart attack
Results of the study could help the 715,000 Americans who suffer from heart attacks each year