20 September 2010
Dundee researchers join £10million heart therapy study
Researchers in Dundee are set to play a key role in a major European-wide project to develop 'tailored therapy' for patients with heart failure.
A team lead by Chim Lang, Professor of Cardiology at the University of Dundee, has been awarded a £700,000 grant as part of the £10million project being funded by the European Commission’s FP-7 programme.
The work in Dundee and Tayside involves a wide range of specialists across hospital physicians, GPs and researchers in genetics. It is based around a ground breaking observational study programme (BIOSTAT-CHF) that will investigate how an individual's genetic make-up influences their unique response to heart failure medication.
'Despite significant advances in our understanding of how to improve the treatment of heart failure from clinical trials, patients can still often have a poor quality of life with symptoms of shortness of breath and lethargy,' said Professor Lang.
'This is in part because not everyone responds to treatments in the same way. While some patients may respond very well to tablets for heart failure, others may have no benefit at all and may even experience harmful side effects. In other words, there is a need for treatment to be ‘tailored’ to the individual patient.
'There is increasing evidence that genes can play an important role in response to drug therapy. Understanding the 'jigsaw' of an individual's genes may help doctors to make heart failure medicine more personal to ensure that every individual gets the maximum possible benefit from their medicine while reducing the chance of unwanted side effects.
'BIOSTAT-CHF is a major step on this path towards making personalised medicine a reality in patients with heart failure.'
The £700,000 being allocated to the Dundee team will directly support one clinical research fellow, two nurses and a post-doctoral scientist.
Patients across Tayside who have experienced heart failure will be invited by letter to take part in the study. Anyone who is interested in taking part in the study or would like more information can contact the study team on 01382 632573.
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart, as result of injury, becomes less efficient at pumping blood round the body. It is estimated that nearly 23 million people have heart failure worldwide. Heart failure, which consumes 1% to 2% of the healthcare budget in the UK, is a major burden to patients, health care providers and society.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The University of Dundee has an international reputation for excellence in life sciences and carries out world-leading medical research into a number of diseases including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and tropical diseases.
The University hosts research expanding from "the cell to the clinic to the community", and boasts one of the largest medical research complexes in the UK. It has an excellent track record in attracting research income and commercialising research activity
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