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Abstract

Grant Number:	5R44HL065873-03
PI Name:	PAGRATIS, NIKOS C.
PI Email:	nikos.pagratis@myogen.com
PI Title:
Project Title:	MEP2 Signaling Inhibitors as Drugs for Heart Failure

Abstract: DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Heart failure (HF) affects 700,000 individuals yearly in the United States, accounting for $10-40 billion annual cost. Although the last ten years have seen dramatic improvements in therapeutic approaches to HF, the expanding number of patients with chronic HF and its persistently poor prognosis make it clear that additional novel treatment approaches are necessary. Recent research has identified myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) as a potentially important mediator of cardiac hypertrophy and subsequent myocardial failure. Myogen will develop high throughput screening assays and will screen for compounds that inhibit MEF2 signaling. In Phase I, Myogen demonstrated feasibility of the project by developing highly reproducible and robust HI assays for the MEF2/HDAC interaction. In Phase II Myogen will apply selected assays from Phase I for screening drug-like, small molecule compound libraries to identify inhibitors of MEF2 dependent gene activation. In Phase Ill Myogen will pursue validation experiments of identified inhibitors of MEF2 signaling, evaluating their ability to block the development of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure in a variety of in vitro and animal models. Following validation, Myogen will pursue commercialization by advancing drug candidates into lead optimization and human clinical testing.

Thesaurus Terms:
DNA binding protein, biological signal transduction, cardiovascular agent, drug screening /evaluation, heart failure, inhibitor /antagonist, transcription factor
heart disorder chemotherapy
cell line, high throughput technology, transfection, yeast two hybrid system

Institution:	MYOGEN, INC.
	7575 W 103RD AVE, #212
	WESTMINSTER, CO 800214014
Fiscal Year:	2003
Department:
Project Start:	11-SEP-2000
Project End:	31-AUG-2004
ICD:	NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITUTE
IRG:	ZRG1

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