Molecular Cardiology - Research Units - Molecular Cardiology - Research themes
The mechanisms of action of new treatments for cardiovascular disease
We are investigating the mechanisms by which aliskiren increases cardiac bradykinin levels and evaluating the cardiac protection that may result from this effect of aliskiren in rats.
The mechanisms of diseases of heart muscle
Heart failure is fundamentally a disease of heart muscle. In collaboration with cardiologists and surgeons at St Vincent's Health we established a cardiac tissue bank. With patient consent, small pieces of heart muscle are taken during open heart surgery. Together with colleagues from Melbourne and Monash universities, we are comparing heart muscle from patients with and without heart failure to identify why the muscle is unable to work properly in heart failure. These studies are giving important new insights into why people with obesity and diabetes are more likely to develop heart failure.
Community study of heart failure prevention
SCREEN-HF is a community-based investigation to discover whether a blood test (for a protein called NT-proBNP) can identify people at increased risk of heart failure. SREEN-HF is a collaboration with cardiologists at St Vincent's Health, and Melbourne and Monash Universities. We have recruited 4000 people from the community and measured their blood levels of NT-proBNP. We are now performing echocardiographic tests to assess how well their heart muscle is working, and we will follow-up these individuals over 5 years to see which ones develop heart failure. Identifying people before or at the earliest stages of heart failure will help us ensure they receive currently available treatments for the prevention and treatment of heart failure.