Effect of Chronic Urocortin2 treatment following experimental myocardial infarction
Clinical heart failure is often the result of myocardial infarction (MI) and the subsequent adaptive and maladaptive responses to MI. Within the heart, remodelling of the left ventricle and development of hypertrophy after infarction profoundly affects heart function, has been shown to be predictive of late heart failure and mortality. To date, successful treatment of heart failure has focussed on the manipulation of hormone systems that are activated in response to cardiac injury or dysfunction [1], via drugs such as ACE inhibitors or b-blockers. Despite advances in therapy, however, the overall outcome in heart failure remains very poor, and with an increasing incidence and prevalence, there is an indisputable need to explore new ways to treat this disease.
Dr Ellmers joined the Cardioendocrine Research Group as a Summer Student, and stayed on to do research towards a PhD. Her PhD the topic was Molecular studies of natriuretic peptides in cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy. She graduated in 2001 with a PhD undertaken in the Department of Medicine, University of Otago.
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