Growth and Remodelling in the Porcine Heart-- Pushing Mathematics through Experiments
Lead Research Organisation:
Swansea University
Department Name: Institute of Life Science Medical School
Abstract
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People |
ORCID iD |
| Ilyas Khan (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | As the heart develops and grows postnatally it undergoes quite a significant milestone where it adapts to adult life. These changes are numerous and important for functioning in adults, such as; change in energy usage (glycolytic to oxidative metabolism), structural changes, the use of different isoforms of proteins. When these changes occur, their sequence, and their impact on heart function is crucial to understand if we are to model growth and development mathematically. The objective of this work package was to determine how the porcine underwent maturation by following the gene expression of a number of gene biomarkers shown in humans to be differentially expressed as maturation proceeds. We had 4 ages of animal which we used to examine gene expression, new born, 14days, 7months and 36months. The data shows that each chamber of the heart undergoes maturation in a unique sequence, as shown by differential expression of feotal and adult isoforms of troponin T and I. In general ventricles express higher levels of mature biomarkers than atria. The differences are apparent at 7 months where atria still express foetal markers of Troponin I1 whereas the ventricles do not. By 36 months both chambers show little expression of TroponinI1. When using a marker of the adult isoform of Troponin T (T2) we saw by looking at expression at the individual heart chambers that the left ventricle has higher expression at 14d and 36months than any chamber at any age. This shows that the heart undergoes early and late changes in heart muscle function in a chamber specific manner. |
| Exploitation Route | This part of the study provides a very detailed expression analysis of important biomarkers for heart development in a model animal. These data will be of use to developmental biologists seeking to understand more about the transitions in structure and function that occur during this crucial period of tissue maturation, it will be useful to tissue engineers seeking to understand whether specific heart chambers have matured and are ready to be implanted and are functional and will not cause arrhythmias, it may be of use to mathematical modellers looking to understand how growth and developments occurs from new born beyond the final maturational phases of growth. |
| Sectors | Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | Engineering collagen |
| Organisation | Procol |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Using the extensive knowledge of collagen dynamics we have gained from our research under this grant we have approached a local company, ProCol Ltd who isolate bovine dermal collagen using proprietary methods, and are working with them to engineer the collagen the extract so that it has added value. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ProCol Ltd have supplied the group with soluble collagen that we are using as the base substrate to develop new biomaterials using genetically engineered cells. |
| Impact | work is still ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2020 |