A gene that regulates the rhythm of the heart has been revealed in new research published in Nature Genetics.
The authors of the study, from Imperial College London, claim their discovery helps them to understand how the body’s heartbeat is controlled and could ultimately help scientists design more targeted drugs to prevent and treat certain heart problems. A person’s heartbeat is controlled by electrical signals, which start in one central place and travel around the heart muscle. This electrical signal is transmitted by specialised proteins in heart muscle cells called ion channels. The study reports the discovery of a new ion channel in the heart called SCN10A, which directly influences heart rhythm disturbances and a person’s risk of cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation. The mutation identified in the SCN10A gene is common and, at an individual level, has a modest effect on a person’s risk of having heart rhythm problems. Further research is needed to determine what other mutations exist in this gene, and whether these might variants might have a stronger effect. The authors of the study, funded by the Wellcome Trust, BBSRC and the British Heart Foundation, hope their findings will enable scientists to develop new ways to prevent and treat heart rhythm disturbances.
