CARMMEN Project Aims to Regenerate Hearts with MYPN Protein
The University of Cyprus' Center of Excellence biobank.cy has embarked on an ambitious research project, CARMMEN, to explore the potential of the Myopalladin (MYPN) protein in heart regeneration. Led by Dr. Sofia Nikouli, this project could pave the way for new therapies in treating cardiovascular news, the world's leading cause of mortality.
Heart failure often results from the loss of functional cardiomyocytes, replaced by fibrous tissue. Current treatments mainly manage symptoms, with heart transplantation being the sole definitive solution. The CARMMEN project seeks to change this by discovering new therapeutic approaches to repair damaged myocardium.
MYPN, known for maintaining cardiac and skeletal muscle integrity, has an unknown role in myocardiogenesis and cardiac repair. The project aims to investigate this using cardiac organoids and zebrafish models. Funded by the Post-Doc/0524 program of the RESTART 2016-2020 framework, the research is a collaboration between biobank.cy and the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA).
If proven successful, the CARMMEN project could open new horizons in understanding cardiomyopathies and developing targeted therapies, potentially revolutionizing heart failure treatment.
