Researchers at Simon Fraser University have made a discovery they say could lead to new drugs that will prevent complications arising from ischemia, one of the devastating after-effects of heart attack and stroke, which disrupts blood flow to the heart and brain.
"Our discovery identifies one of the molecular targets for ischemia," said Peter Ruben, associate dean of research and graduate studies, in the faculty of science at SFU, in a press release. "Identifying this target helps us understand how and why arrhythmias originate as a consequence of ischemia and may lead to better prevention and treatment, ultimately resulting in lower morbidity and mortality."
Cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, is the second-leading cause of death among Canadians, with more than 37,000 deaths from ischemic heart disease each year, according to the release.
The SFU study, Proton Sensors in the Pore Domain of the Cardiac Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel, was published recently in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
