Gene Mutations in NPC1L1, the Target of the Drug Ezetimibe, Found to Reduce Cholesterol and Protect Against Heart Attack
Researchers at Washington University have shown that mutations in the gene NPC1L1 are associated with lower cholesterol and about 50% reduction in risk of heart attack. The research was led by Washington University Cardiologist Dr. Nathan Stitziel and appears online November 12th in the New England Journal of Medicine. Ezetimibe, a drug commonly prescribed to […]
The Heart’s Own Immune Cells Can Help It Heal
Researchers at Washington University have found the heart holds its own pool of immune cells capable of helping it heal after injury, according to a new study in mice at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis. Research led by cardiologist Dr. Kory Levine, showed that the injured pediatric and adult heart contains two […]
New Experimental Drug Reduces Tissue Damage Following Myocardial Infarction and Minimizes the Risk of Bleeding
Researchers at Washington University and St. Louis based APT Therapeutics Inc., show that a novel drug known as APT102 significantly reduced tissue damage to heart muscle following experimental myocardial infarction and minimized the risk of bleeding during follow-up treatments. The research team at Washington University was led by Dr. Dana Abendschein. Myocardial infarction causes damage […]
Summer 2014 WashU Alumni Newsletter (pdf) (Links to an external site)
The Advanced Heart Failure Program Expands – In five years, the number of left ventricularassist devices (LVADs) implanted at Washington University School of Medicine/Barnes-Jewish Hospital has more than doubled, from 52 in 2009 to 122 devices in 2013.
Regions of the Genome Once Mislabled as ‘Junk’ are Linked to Pathogenesis of Heart Failure
Dr. Jeanne Nerbonne and a team of Washington University researchers from the Center of Cardiovascular Research (CCR) reported results from a comprehensive analysis of different families of RNA molecules expressed in the human heart. The researchers studied non-failing hearts and failing hearts before and after patients received mechanical pump support from left ventricular assist devices […]
Nanoparticles Treat Muscular Dystrophy in Mice
A team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have demonstrated a new approach to treating muscular dystrophy. (Read more) Mice with a form of this muscle weakening disease showed improved strength and heart function when treated with nanoparticles loaded with rapamycin, an immunosuppressive drug recently found to improve recycling of […]
New Insights Into How Immune Cells Heal Injured Hearts
The immune system plays an important role in the heart’s response to injury. But until recently, conflicting data made it difficult to distinguish the immune factors that encourage the heart to heal following a heart attack, versus those factors that can lead to further damage. (Read more) Now, research performed by Dr. Slava Epelman and […]