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Potential new heart attack biomarker uncovered

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Though they remain a leading killer, heart attacks can be effectively treated provided they can be rapidly diagnosed following initial onset of symptoms. In a study appearing in this month's Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, researchers have identified cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBP-C) as a potential new diagnostic biomarker for heart attacks, one that may be particularly valuable for mild attacks in which traditional diagnostic proteins may not be abundant enough.

Currently, one of the gold-standards for diagnosis of heart attacks, or acute myocardial infarctions, is scanning for the presence of the proteins troponin I and troponin T, as they are produced specifically in the heart and are almost completely absent in the blood in healthy individuals.

However, even troponins are not ideal markers, since they are released somewhat slowly following a heart attack (peaking around 18 hours post-infarction) and remain in the blood for up to 10 days afterwards, hindering the diagnosis of any secondary heart attacks.

In the quest for better biomarkers, a group of researchers at King's College London performed a proteomic analysis of all the proteins released by mouse hearts following induced heart attacks. They identified 320 proteins not released by normal hearts, including all the currently employed biomarkers.

Only a handful of these proteins were specific to the heart, but among those, one very promising lead was cMyBP-C; within 5 minutes following a heart attack it became nearly 20 fold more abundant than before, one of the highest increases of all 320 identified proteins. In fact, cMyBP-C was abundant following even minor heart attacks, suggesting it could be very useful in such instances.

The researchers are now continuing their investigation and examining the time course of cMyBP-C release following heart attacks and its persistence in the blood of mice, to further determine this protein's potential value.

From the study: "Identification of Cardiac Myosin-binding Protein C as a Candidate Biomarker of Myocardial Infarction by Proteomics Analysis," by Sebastien Jacquet, Xiaoke Yin, Pierre Sicard, James Clark, Gajen S. Kanaganayagam, Manuel Mayr, and Michael S. Marber

Article Link: http://www.mcponline.org/cgi/content/abstract/8/12/2687

Corresponding Authors:
Manuel Mayr, the James Black Centre, King's College London, UK
Tel.: 44-20-7848-5238; E-mail: manuel.mayr@kcl.ac.uk

Michael Marber, Department of Cardiology, King's College London, UK
Tel.: 44-20-7188-1008; E-mail: mike.marber@kcl.ac.uk

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with over 11,900 members in the United States and internationally. Most members teach and conduct research at colleges and universities. Others conduct research in various government laboratories, nonprofit research institutions and industry. The Society's student members attend undergraduate or graduate institutions.

Founded in 1906, the Society is based in Bethesda, Maryland, on the campus of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. The Society's purpose is to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology through publication of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the Journal of Lipid Research, and Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, organization of scientific meetings, advocacy for funding of basic research and education, support of science education at all levels, and promoting the diversity of individuals entering the scientific work force.

Nick Zagorski | Quelle: EurekAlert!
Weitere Informationen: www.asbmb.org

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