11ßHSD1 inhibition: a distinctive acute-myocardial infarction intervention for promotion of peri-infarct vascularization, reduction of infarct expansion and prevention of heart failure

There are around 915,000 survivors of myocardial infarction (MI, heart attack) currently living in the UK, many will have sustained damage to their heart that increases the likelihood of developing heart failure (HF) in the longer term. This project investigates the potential for drugs that inhibit intracellular regeneration of glucocorticoid to modify repair after heart attack by preventing infarct expansion and reducing the stimulus for the subsequent maladaptive remodeling that leads to HF.

Research Methods and Objectives

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Combination of three images of acute-myocardial infarction images, including cortisone cortisol OC diagram

This multi-centre collaborative project will investigate the potential of 11ßHSD1 inhibitor drugs, developed by Astra-Zeneca, to be translated to clinical use post-MI. The study will reveal, in a pig model of ischaemia and reperfusion, whether this intervention can improve outcome after MI over and above that achieved using current standard clinical therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging and histology will be used to determine structure and function of the heart after drug treatment.

Principal Investigator, Co-Investigators, Other researchers

Principal Investigator 

Gillian A Gray 

Co-Investigators

R Ascione (Bristol TMRI), A Whittaker (Astra Zeneca), N MillsS Webster & BR Walker (Newcastle).