Is Sympathetic Activation Beneficial Or Detrimental In Septic Shock?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$458,755.00
Summary
Septic shock is a major cause of death in intensive care units. It is associated with large increases in sympathetic nerve activity to the heart and kidneys, which have both beneficial and harmful effects. This project will determine the responses to the increased sympathetic activity in septic shock, the causes of it and whether blocking this activation has an overall beneficial effect. This knowledge is essential before drugs that block sympathetic activation are examined in clinical studies.
Ryanodine Receptor Inhibitors As Therapy For Ca2+ Store Overload Induced Arrhythmias
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$555,892.00
Summary
This study investigates a new therapeutic action recently discovered for flecainide, an antiarrhythmic agent that we find to completely prevent and inherited form of stress-induced arrhythmias called CPVT. The findings will provide the first detailed mechanistic understanding of an antiarrhythmic drug, findings that will also give a new direction for drug design to control common arrhythmias such as occur in diseases such as coronary artery disease.
Evaluating The Potential Of HERG Channel Agonists As Mechanistically Targeted Antiarrhythmics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$414,786.00
Summary
Abnormal heart rhythms cause ~10 % of deaths in the western world and this number is increasing. To date there has been little success in identifying drugs that are effective in treating these disorders. By studying a rhythm disturbance called long QT syndrome we will examine whether specifically targeting drugs to the molecular building blocks of these arrhythmias is an appropriate route for development of more effective drugs.