Cardiovascular Research Group

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of morbidity and/or mortality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and, worldwide. Despite therapeutic advancement, the frequency of CVDs including vascular dysfunction, ischemic and hypertensive cardiac diseases are increasing at an alarming rate, largely due to lack of awareness and sedentary lifestyle.

Poorly defined molecular mechanisms of CVDs largely responsible for the limited therapeutic efficacy of the available pharmacological intervention. This necessitates the need of detail pathomechanisms investigation and, novel molecular targets to design better therapies to combat CVDs. The cardiovascular Research (CVR) group aims to plug in the gap in our understanding of CVDs by performing detailed phenotypic and molecular characterization of these diseases in various settings. 

Our broader aim is to investigate the molecular perturbations involved in CVDs such as hypertension,  vascular dysfunction, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and ischemia- and hypertension-induced cardiac remodeling and heart failure. Moreover, considering several structural and functional similarities in cardiac and skeletal muscles, CVR group is additionally focusing on investigating the potential molecular mechanisms causing the coupling of cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction.  We will meet our aims with the following specific objectives:

1. Identify genes and genetic defects and, delineate the underlying molecular mechanisms to enhance our understanding of CVDs including various types of cardiomyopathies, thrombotic and vascular disorders including endothelial dysfunction, familial hypercholesterolemia and inherited bleeding disorders.
2. Perform detailed phenotypic and molecular characterization of patients with major CVDs.
3. Establish potential circulating biomarkers for early risk assessment and treatment of CVDs.
4. Identify and characterize the novel drug targets employing in vitro and in vivo mouse models.
5. Delineate the molecular mechanisms causing coupling of cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction and, evaluate the effects of microgravity on cardiovascular remodeling.
6. Screen the small molecule inhibitors to design better therapies against CVDs.
7. Investigate the immunopharmacological interventions related to renal and cardiovascular disorders.

Cardiovascular research group has adapted a multi-pronged approach, including both the in-vitro and in-vivo models to meet our research aims. We employ gain- and loss-of-function models to better understand the pathomechanisms of cardiovascular and muscular disorders. Our research primarily focuses on investigating the mechanisms of ischemic heart diseases- and pressure overload -induced cardiac remodelling and dysfunction, hypertension, vascular dysfunction, thrombosis and atherosclerosis. Moreover, our group is engaged to investigate the causes of muscular and associated cardiovascular defects in a mouse model of  space flight or prolonged bedrest. Cardiovascular research group has well-established cardiac and skeletal muscle cell lines, which are being used to thoroughly investigate the molecular and genetic changes dictating various diseases. Small molecular inhibitors screening, in in-vitro and ex-vivo models in an attempt to design potential novel therapies to minimize or reverse the cardiovascular disease, is an important goal of our group.

Gopika R, Dr Anu V Ranade, Dr Rizwan Qaiser Winners of the 4th Forum for Women in Research, WIRF2023, University of Sharjah. The Winner was Awarded Dhs 10,000 as research grant for this project. 

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