Hyperamylinemia in Diabetic Heart Disease: Mechanisms, Responses, and Prevention
Description: PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Obesity and type-2 diabetes have reached epidemic proportions in the US1 and are associated with a high risk of heart failure. The pathogenesis of heart dysfunction in obesity and T2D is multifactorial and not fully elucidated, which makes diagnosis and treatment of diabetic heart disease challenging. Our study aims at understanding how hyperamylinemia, a common condition in obese and insulin resistant patients, promotes toxic accumulation of oligomerized amylin in the heart and how the buildup of amylin affects cardiac function. Planned studies also attempt to find therapeutic tools that can mitigate cardiac accumulation of oligomerized amylin and its deleterious effects. The focus is on modulating the endogenous system of scavenging the amylin oligomers circulating in the blood as a possible mean to reduce cardiotoxicity of hyperamylinemia. If our hypothesis of cardiotoxic amylin oligomer is proven, then hyperamylinemia and the oligomerized amylin circulating in the blood will be feasible therapeutic targets to limit the risk of diabetic heart injury.
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: R01
Start date: 2013-08-23
End date: 2018-07-31
Investigator: FLORIN DESPA
Institution: UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
Funded outputs count: 31
Funder award ID: R01HL118474
OpenAlex ID: G7223555352