Exploring cardiomyocytes’ functional response to calcitonin and pro-calcitonin
- 16 July 2018 to 31 December 2018
- Awards: Pump-priming Awards
Atrial fibrillation [AF] is the commonest cardiac arrhythmia and is a major therapeutic challenge. This is because AF causes progressive adverse changes in the atrial myocardium hallmarked by altered calcium handling, the mechanisms of which are not fully understood. Interestingly, thyroid hormone calcitonin (CT) is a major regulator of calcium homeostasis in human body and its’ serum concentrations decrease with age (the strongest risk factor for AF). The effect of CT (and its’ pre-cursor pro-CT) on calcium handling of cardiomyocytes is unknown and will be investigated in this study by a combination of cellular and molecular biology techniques. The results of this project may uncover a new pathogenic mechanism critical to the arrhythmogenesis in AF.