A favorite presenter at the Get in Rhythm. Stay in Rhythm.® Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conferences for the past three years has been Professor Bianca Brundel, PhD, from the physiology department at the Amsterdam University Medical Center in The Netherlands.
Dr. Brundel shared with us information on testing how toxic triggers drive afib progression and how those findings will be used to discover effective treatments and diagnostics. She also discussed patient involvement in research, including how to get involved.
Based on this, we in the patient community have stepped up to help fund some of Dr. Brundel’s research. For example, she and her colleagues recently showed that structural damage to the heart results from “derailment in cardiomyocyte proteostasis” and that this damage could be counteracted by heat shock proteins (HSPs).
A potent, non-toxic drug called GGA (geranylgeranylacetone) can induce heat shock proteins in the heart. In a dog model of afib, they showed that oral treatment with this drug prevents damage and protects against afib onset and progression.
With our help as a patient community, she aims to conduct the GENIALITY Study of GGA for Postoperative Afib Prevention, which could lead to more effective treatments for afib.
Learn more about this study and how you can help at:
Patient-Funded Research: GENIALITY Study: GGA for Afib Prevention
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