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Potential heart failure drug needs human trials
A new drug has been identified by scientists that could potentially treat or prevent heart failure.
Research shows injecting SUMO1 into failing hearts could help improve the way the heart muscle functions. Scientists behind the research say SUMO1 plays a critical role in the development of heart failure.
Heart failure means that for some reason the heart is not pumping blood around the body as well as it used to. It’s normally brought about after the heart muscle has been damaged or dies, including after a heart attack.
The number of human trials involving gene therapy is on the rise
Professor Jeremy Pearson, our Associate Medical Director, said: “Gene therapy appears to have real potential when we talk about the treatment of heart failure. This is another useful piece of research involving animals and provides hope that similar trials might be possible in heart failure patients in the future.
“As we develop our understanding of gene therapy, we’ve managed to overcome many of the early problems encountered in the area of research, and the number of human trials involving gene therapy is on the rise.
“BHF's Mending Broken Hearts appeal aims to spend £50 million so we can further investigate regenerative medicine and find a way to prevent heart failure, which affects more than 750,000 people in the UK.”
The latest research into SUMO1 was published in the Nature journal.
