Two international research studies, both led by investigators affiliated with [b]Massachusetts General Hospital[/b] and the [b]Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard[/b], have uncovered new information about genes that may increase the risk of serious cardiac arrhythmias. [s]Science Daily[/s] reports that the one study identifies several new gene regions associated with variations in the QT interval – a stage in the heart’s electrical cycle that, if prolonged, increases the risk of drug-induced arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. A surprising finding was the extent to which genes involved in calcium signalling influence the QT interval.
The other paper describes a novel approach to analyse and map the protein networks that drive cardiac repolarisation – the biological process disturbed in arrhythmias. By integrating this network with the other study results, the researchers were able to pinpoint specific genes involved in the biology of cardiac repolarisation.
[link url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140630141415.htm]Full Science Daily report[/link]
[link url=http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ng.3014.html]Nature Genetics abstract[/link]
[link url=http://www.nature.com/nmeth/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nmeth.2997.html]Nature Methods abstract[/link]