Veeraraghavan earns American Heart Association grant for AFib research
New research led by Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Rengasayee Veeraraghavan could advance treatments for atrial fibrillation, the most common type of heart arrhythmia.
Veeraraghavan has received a three-year, $300,000 grant from the American Heart Association for his research titled, “Preventing Atrial Fibrillation by Preserving the Vascular Barrier and Intercalated Disk Nanodomains.” The interdisciplinary work will explore new ways to treat atrial fibrillation. Collaborators on the project include Sandor Gyorke, professor of physiology, and Przemyslaw Radwanski, assistant professor of pharmacy, both from Ohio State.
Often called AFib or AF, atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat that affects an estimated 2.7 to 6.1 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A progressive disease, AF grows in severity and complexity over time, and increases patients’ risk of stroke and further cardiovascular disease. The CDC estimates that 12.1 million people in the United States will have AF in 2030.
“Existing treatments focus on managing AF, but do not address the underlying causes,” said Veeraraghavan. “Thus, we urgently need new treatments, which can arrest and even reverse the development of the disease.”
AF patients have leaky blood vessels, which is recognized as a risk factor for stroke, but little is known about its role in the progression of AF, explained Veeraraghavan. Fluid leaked from blood vessels can accumulate between heart muscle cells. This accumulation can lead to swelling of tiny, nanometer-sized structures, called nanodomains, which help these cells pass electrical signals to each other.
“The consequence is irregularity of the heartbeat,” he said.
The researchers recently found nanodomains swelling in the hearts of AF patients. The team will experimentally induce blood vessel leak and nanodomain swelling to understand how AF develops and how it can be stopped.
“Based on these findings, we will explore two new ways to treat AF, preventing blood vessels from leaking, and preventing nanodomain swelling,” said Veeraraghavan.
Veeraraghavan previously earned a $2.2 million NIH grant for his research on preventing the development and progression of AF.
Since 1949, the American Heart Association has invested more than $4.6 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and brain health research. It is the largest not-for-profit funding source for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease research next to the federal government.
by Meggie Biss, College of Engineering Communications | biss.11@osu.edu
