Roles of Sex and Gender in the Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease: The Example of Heat Shock Protein 27 as a Menopausal Cardiovascular Biomarker and Potential Anti-Atherosclerosis Therapy
Description: The most common fatal heart problem is a heart attack when the arteries that supply oxygen to your heart muscle are blocked (also known as coronary artery disease, CAD). There is a critical need to better understand how and why heart disease occurs, and what can be done to lower the risk of developing heart disease. CAD occurs more commonly as you get older. In women, the risk increases after menopause (when ovarian sex function has declined). In men, CAD may also be associated with male menopause, when males become less virile. While these biological changes of menopause can be associated with health problems such as CAD, they also are associated with factors that change the way individuals think about themselves or how society views them. Such changes in perception represent changes in gender. We now explore how these two inter-related concepts, sex and gender, influence the risk, perception and management of CAD in males and females. In particular, we will try to highlight some of the biological changes that occur with menopause (e.g., changes in hormones, that result in downstream biological effects - including the loss of a protein in the blood called HSP27), and correlate them with CAD management / outcomes. As well, we will use HSP27 as an example of a predictive measurement and potential new treatment for the management of menopause-related increases in CAD. For example, we will pursue a series of experiments in animals whereby the administration of HSP27 (or smaller parts of this protein) will be given as "replacement therapy" to boost low levels of HSP27 in order to prevent hardening of the arteries. Finally, special proteins (called antibodies) can "stick" to HSP27 and surprisingly make HSP27 more potent. Therefore, we will explore the use immunization strategies to generate more antibodies to HSP27 that might strengthen the potency of HSP27 in treating hardening of the arteries.
Amount: CA$100,000
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: Project Grant
Start date: 2016-07-01
End date: 2017-06-30
Investigator: Edward O'Brien
Institution: University of Calgary
Funded outputs count: 7
Funder award ID: 149015_1
OpenAlex ID: G1221408597