To help refocus the search for new drug targets aimed at preventing or reversing the devastating devastating tissue inflammation that results after heart attack and stroke, Albany Medical College researchers have come up with a new research.
In the March 5 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, lead author Alejandro P. Adam and his colleagues at the college's Center for Cardiovascular Science are reporting that vascular cells' ability to properly regulate fluid movement is not necessarily affected solely by the activity of an enzyme that for years has been in the crosshairs of scientists and pharmaceutical developers.
"Learning the mechanisms of inflammation is a key step in the development of new and better therapies to improve the outcome of widespread pathologies, such as stroke, heart attack, septic shock and pulmonary edema," said Adam, a postdoctoral fellow at the cardiovascular center. "To determine which are the best targets for treatment, we need to understand exactly what role each molecule is playing in the regulation of the vessel walls, and we found that the enzyme Src may be needed to get changes in barrier function but by itself is not sufficient."