Synthetic Peptide Could Help Patients with Cardiovascular Issues

Researchers have been able to target a synthetic peptide that could be the first in a new class of drugs to help treat heart disease. 

The study authors from the University of Alberta found a deficiency in the peptide apelin that's associated with heart failure, diabetes and pulmonary hypertension, according to background information from the study. Through their research they were able to develop a synthetic version that targets pathways in the heart and helps promote blood vessel growth.

Lead study author Gavin Oudit, an associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, notes that the synthetic form of apelin is more stable and potent than those that would occur naturally.

"It's a new group of drugs that we hope can be used for a wide variety of disorders, all of which have a huge economic burden on the health-care system," said Oudit via a press release who is also a cardiologist and clinician-scientist at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute.

His research group studied apelin deficiencies in the heart of both mice and humans through the Human Explanted Heart Program, or HELP. This program allows for the study of various specimens obtained from patients that are undergoing a heart transplant.

The research team found that hearts from patients who had gone through heart attacks were missing apelin, which is needed for angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels that better help the body adapt following a heart attack.

For now, the team is continuing to work on advancements regarding this discovery and what it could mean for the future.

"Having this kind of environment that's multidisciplinary and collaborative is absolutely critical to take a discovery to the next level," Oudit said, via the release. "We showed this kind of translational work can be done here, in Edmonton, at the University of Alberta."

More information regarding the study can be found via the Journal of the American Heart Association.