Multiple Rare Gene Mutations Associated With Increased Risk of Heart Attack
Research performed at Washington University and other leading biomedical research institutions found that multiple rare mutations in two genes increase an individual’s risk of heart attack. The research appears online this week in the journal Nature. Nathan Stitziel, MD, PhD, a cardiologist at Washington University School of Medicine and co-first author of the report, helped […]
New Treatment For Marfan’s Syndrome Shows Promise
An investigational treatment for Marfan’s syndrome is as effective as the standard therapy at slowing enlargment of the aorta, new research shows (read more). The findings indicate a second treatment option for Marfan’s patients, who are at high risk of sudden death from aortic dissection. “For years, standard medical therapy for Marfan’s syndrome consisted of […]
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 […]