Cardiac muscle function and manipulation

Abstract

A method of causing cardiomyocyte growth and / or differentiation, the method comprising exposing a cardiomyocyte to neuregulin (NRG) thereby activating the MAP kinase pathway in the cardiomyocyte and causing growth and / or differentiation of the cardiomyocyte. Use of neuregulin, neuregulin polypeptide, neuregulin derivatives, or compounds which mimic the activities of neuregulins in the treatment or management of heart disease and heart failure in a mammal.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] This invention relates to polypeptides which affect myocardial cell differentiation and organisation of cardiac muscle contractile units, assay for identifying such polypeptides, and methods for improving cardiac function by the administration of such polypeptides to patients with heart disease. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Heart failure affects 1.5% of populations, approximately three million Americans, developing at a rate of approximately 400,000 new cases per year in USA. Current therapy for heart failure is primarily directed to using angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and diuretics. ACE inhibitors appear to slow progress to end-stage heart failure; however, they are unable to relieve symptoms in more than 60% of heart failure patients and reduce mortality of heart failure only by approximately 15-20%. Heart transplantation is limited by the availability of donor hearts. With the exception of digoxin, the chronic administration of positi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is based on the discovery of a protein called neuregulin and its ability to promote cardiac muscle cell differentiation and growth. The invention provides methods for using neuregulin or its derivatives to treat or prevent cardiac muscle cell-related disorders such as heart failure and heart disease. The invention also provides methods for identifying polypeptides or compounds that mimic the effects of neuregulin or inhibit its action. The technical effects of the invention include improved cardiac muscle cell growth and differentiation, as well as the potential for improved heart function and prevention of heart disease.

Problems solved by technology

ACE inhibitors appear to slow progress to end-stage heart failure; however, they are unable to relieve symptoms in more than 60% of heart failure patients and reduce mortality of heart failure only by approximately 15-20%.

Heart transplantation is limited by the availability of donor hearts.

With the exception of digoxin, the chronic administration of positive inotropic agents has not resulted in a useful drug without adverse side effects, including increased arrhythmias, or sudden death These deficiencies in current therapy suggest the need for additional therapeutic approaches.

Although pathologically hypertrophic cells also have large size and accumulation of proteins, they often display disorganisation of contractile proteins (disarray of sarcomeric structures) and poor cell-cell adhesions (disarray of myofibers).

In vivo studies of neuregulin gene-targeted homozygous mouse embryos with severe defects in ventricular trabeculae formation and dorsal root ganglia development indicate that neuregulin is essential for heart and neural development However, information on how neuregulin controls cell differentiation and its downstream signalling pathways is limited.

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