The Houston-based Texas Heart Institute has its sights set on developing a revolutionary new drug to treat cardiovascular disease, and now it has the financial backing to do so.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recently awarded the research center a two-year grant worth $1.14 million of taxpayer money. The Texas Heart Institute’s prospective drug would target conditions caused by atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis causes arteries to become thick and hard as a result of an accumulation of plaque. Such plaque, which is largely made up of cholesterol, narrows the arteries and limits blood flow. Over time, atherosclerosis can result in heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes.
On the whole, cardiovascular disease kills one person in the United States every 33 seconds and is the leading cause of death in the country, according to the CDC.
As The Dallas Express previously reported, cardiovascular disease is also the leading cause of death in Dallas County, where the Commissioners Court had to launch an awareness-building campaign earlier this year to raise the alarm.
Obesity contributes enormously to the prevalence of cardiovascular disease overall. Rates in the United States are at an all-time high, with nearly 42% of adults considered clinically obese in 2017, according to the CDC.
While regular exercise and maintaining a healthy diet are critical to staving off obesity, those already diagnosed with cardiovascular disease have a range of treatment options. For instance, the most common treatment for atherosclerosis today is the use of statin drugs that lower bad cholesterol levels. Blood flow can also be restored through surgical procedures that target blockages, such as coronary angioplasty.
Still, such treatments are not foolproof solutions. Many patients still experience life-threatening incidents due to ongoing inflammation, with research suggesting that atherosclerosis is fundamentally an inflammatory disease, according to News Medical Life Sciences. In fact, as previously reported by The Dallas Express, some experts believe asthma can drive atherosclerosis since it causes inflammation, which can lead to arterial plaque buildup over time.
Spearheading the Texas Heart Institute’s drug development project are Drs. Darren G. Woodside and Ronald J. Biediger. Their work has focused on suppressing white blood cell activity in atherosclerotic plaques by inhibiting the production of inflammation-inducing substances.
The team is also exploring the interaction between specific proteins to develop an effective drug that goes beyond what statins can achieve. They aim to produce a drug that can be taken orally daily with minimal side effects. The initiative could open the door for new drug development and patient treatment options.