Discovery points way for new treatment for aneurysms
New findings from a research team at the Providence Heart + Lung Institute (HLI) at St. Paul's Hospital and the University of British Columbia may lead to new treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) – a potentially fatal disease that currently has no pharmacological treatments.
Dr. David Granville, a researcher in the UBC James Hogg Research Centre, part of the HLI, led the study, which was published today in the American Journal of Pathology.
Dr. Granville and his team identified a protein-degrading enzyme called Granzyme B that is abundant in aneurysms. To determine whether Granzyme B was contributing to aneurysms, the enzyme was genetically knocked out.
"When we removed Granzyme B, we found that it not only slowed the progression of aneurysms, but also markedly improved survival," says Dr. Granville. "This suggests that drugs designed specifically to target Granzyme B could be an effective means of treating aneurysms."
Currently the 13th leading cause of death in North America, AAA has an 80 - 90 per cent chance of fatality if the aneurysm ruptures. Currently, the only effective treatment interventions involve surgical repair at late stages of disease. There are no treatments for smaller, earlier-stage aneurysms beyond basic monitoring of progression.
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Dr. David Granville, Providence Heart + Lung Institute researcher