( According to the study conducted by the...)Genes Identified To Protect Heart Muscles,Health

According to the study conducted by the Queen's University researchers it was found that by appreciating how genes work to protect the aortic muscle new treatment// options can be developed to help patients suffering from arteriosclerosis.

It is one of the major causes of heart attack and stroke. The study, released July 14 by the American Heart Association, found that a gene called heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) markedly protects the arteriosclerois-prone human aortic smooth muscle cells from death after exposure to high concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are a natural by-product of the body's metabolism of oxygen and are known by scientists for their signaling role in cellular activity.

The findings revealed that HO-1 exerted these remarkable protective effects by cooperating with another protective gene, Akt. The protective effect of HO-1 was dependent on the activation of Akt and vice-versa, indicating that these two protective genes work co-dependently to exert their beneficial effects. ‘It appears that these two genes act as dance partners in the complex tango of cellular protection, with neither one wanting to assume the lead role,’ says the study's lead author Luis G. Melo, Associate Professor of Physiology and Canada Research Chair in Molecular Cardiology at Queen's.

He says the findings point to a new therapy for preventing clogging in the arteries to avoid heart attacks and strokes. Smooth muscle cells make up the wall of blood vessels and are the prime target for development of the plaque that causes arteries to harden. The smooth muscle cells provide stability to the plaque, thereby preventing it from rupturing and causing clogging of the blood vessels (thrombosis). The major cause of plaque rupture is the loss of smooth muscle cells due to cell death caused by an excess hydrogen peroxide.

In the study, funded by CIHR and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, investigators used a harmless virus t
'"/>




Page: 1 2
Related medicine news :

1. New Way to "See" Genes, Evaluate Effectiveness of Gene Therapies Discovered
2. Genes for lung disease
3. Genesis of SUPAC
4. Genes for Vision discovered
5. Genes Found To Help Leukemia Treatment
6. Cardiac Valve Disease Linked To Genes
7. Genes Linked To Cigarette Addiction
8. Genes from saliva may predict oral and breast cancer
9. Genes More Important Than Exercise for Bad Cholesterol
10. Genes responsible for social behavior of us
11. Genes to Extend Longevity Discovered