Nature Communications (Feb 2016)

Rationally engineered Troponin C modulates in vivo cardiac function and performance in health and disease

  • Vikram Shettigar,
  • Bo Zhang,
  • Sean C. Little,
  • Hussam E. Salhi,
  • Brian J. Hansen,
  • Ning Li,
  • Jianchao Zhang,
  • Steve R. Roof,
  • Hsiang-Ting Ho,
  • Lucia Brunello,
  • Jessica K. Lerch,
  • Noah Weisleder,
  • Vadim V. Fedorov,
  • Federica Accornero,
  • Jill A. Rafael-Fortney,
  • Sandor Gyorke,
  • Paul M. L. Janssen,
  • Brandon J. Biesiadecki,
  • Mark T. Ziolo,
  • Jonathan P. Davis

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10794
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 13

Abstract

Read online

Heart contraction, which is decreased in disease, is determined by Ca2+binding to troponin C. Here, the authors combine a protein engineering approach with gene therapy to modulate heart contractility in mice with the use of rationally designed Troponin C variants, suggesting a new therapy for diseased hearts.