Mass spectrometry imaging to illuminate the activity of 11β-hydroxsteroid dehydrogenase 1inhibitors and their potential for repurposing to prevent heart failure development after myocardial infarction

Complete

25/05/2021

Heart attack

Scotland

Target validation

Awarded amount: £88,568

Grant scheme: NET

Institution: University of Edinburgh

Principle Investigator: Prof Gillian Gray

---

This research group has previously discovered that a class of drugs, 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitors (11β-HSD1i), is beneficial in helping the heart to recover after a heart attack.

This class of drugs is already used to treat obesity and diabetes, which adds additional benefit due to the comorbidity with heart disease.

This particular project is to improve the case for moving forward into human trials by exploring the mechanisms by which this drug acts on the heart after a heart attack using mass spectrometry imaging (MSI).

This technique used thin slices of the heart and a laser to identify which areas of the heart are most affected by both the heart attack and the drugs. This showed where the drugs were binding to the heart and provided additional insight into the biochemical processes that occur during a heart attack and the damage that can then subsequently occur.

This new drug class has the potential to prevent the spread of injury across the heart if administered quickly after the occurrence of a heart attack.

This has major potential benefit in terms of improving quality of life post heart attack and since this class of drugs is already demonstrated to be safety in humans, it is hoped it will rapidly progress to clinical trial.

The group has already secured funding to further explore the modifying impact of these drugs on heart remodelling.
Rapid clinical impact is hoped with appropriate support from the pharmaceutical industry, in part thanks to the strong support provided by this study.