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Article: New drug may reduce heart attack damage.
- Article from:
- Heart Disease Weekly
- Article date:
- August 23, 2009
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A novel drug that targets a master disease-causing gene can dramatically reduce heart muscle damage after a heart attack and may lead to significantly improved patient outcomes, researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have shown (see also University of New South Wales).
The drug, known as Dz13, specifically targets and neutralises the master regulator c-Jun gene, which is responsible for inflammation and muscle death in the aftermath of a heart attack, trials in preclinical models have found.
The drug also reduces incidental cell and tissue death resulting from life-saving interventions such as balloon angioplasty and stent placements, ...