DGK funding for research on age-related cardiac arrhythmia

Brandenburg an der Havel, 4 September 2024

The German Cardiac Society DGK supports Dr. Johanna Tennigkeit in her research with a grant of 50.000 Euro for the duration of 12 months. Dr. Tennigkeit, currently in specialist training in cardiology at the MHB university hospital in Brandenburg an der Havel (UKB), investigates cardiac arrhythmia, specifically age-related changes in the PQ interval.

The PQ interval is an important time span that measures the electric activity of the heart muscle and shows up in ECD reading. It serves physicians to assess heart health. The sections it comprises are: the P wave which is generated in the atrium and causes it to contract, and the onset of the Q peak which initiates the excitation of the ventricle. The PQ interval describes the time span needed by the electric impulse to reach the ventricles.

This interval typically becomes longer with advancing age. In collaboration with Dr. Gregor Sachse, Dr. Tennigkeit explores the role of the TRPM4 ion channel in this transformation. The transient receptor potential ion channel regulates the flow of specific ions and thus controls electric signals of cells. These channels and the respective changes in electric charges are of key importance to many processes in the body. Dr. Tennigkeit assumes that certain proteins interact with the TRPM channel with a possible impact on cardiac rhythm with advancing age; experiments involving cell cultures will be used to verify this assumption. Samples of human heart tissue required for this purpose come from the MHB university hospital Immanuel Herzzentrum Brandenburg.

The research project aims to gain fundamental knowledge about the increase of cardiac problems with advancing age. Funding received from the DGK is scheduled to finance laboratory assistance.