Asthegeneralpopulationandveteransage,theirheartswillundergodramaticchangesthatwillreducetheir capacitytoworkefficientlyandincreasetheirsusceptibilitytoinjury.Inaddition,thereareanumberofco- morbiditiessuchasdiabetesthatensuewithagethatwillfurtherimpacttheheartanditsadaptationtostress. Interventionsthathelptoprotecttheheartfrominjuryarelikelytobeusefulinpatientsathighriskfor cardiovascularevents.Alongwiththegeneralpopulation,asveteransage,therewillbeanincreasingburden ofhealthcareassociatedwithagethatleadtocardiovasculardysfunction.Thereareanumberofmolecular targetsthatmaybecriticalinprotectionofthemyocardiumtostressbutaunifyingfactorhasbeenelusive,and thusapharmacologictargetnotwelldefined.Itispossiblethatmultiplepathwaysofstressadaptationsharean interconnectedmediatorthatmaybetargetedtherapeutically.ThePatelLaboratoryhasbeenfocusedon identifyingnovelanduniquemediatorsthatregulateamultitudeofpathwaysandmaythereforebeviable therapeuticendpointsforcardiovasculardisease.ThelaboratoryhasaspecificinterestincaveolinandA- kinaseinteractingprotein.Thereisclearclinicalimplicationandneedforinterventionsthatlimittheseverityof injurythatoccurstothemyocardium,asthisisamajorriskfactortomorbidityandmortality.Interventionsthat helptoprotecttheheartarelikelytobeusefulinmanypatients.Also,thebasicnatureofthestudiesunderway inthePatelLaboratorytounderstandthefundamentalphysiologyofthecellmayalsobebroadlyapplicableto othersorgansanddiseasesystemsincludingbutnotlimitedtocancerbiology,neurodegeneration,nephrology, urology,musclephysiology,pulmonarydiseases,andthebiologyofaging. ThePatelLaboratoryhasbeenspecificallyinterestedinassessingtheimpactofcaveolae,membrane microdomainsenrichedinlipidsandthestructuralproteincaveolin,oncardiacphysiologyandpathophysiology foroveradecade.Ongoingandcollaborativestudieswithothernationalandinternationalinstitutionshas resultedinexpansioninmultipleorgansystemsandthepotentialtotranslatebasicfindingstoanumberof clinicalproblems.In2004Dr.Patelperformedaverysimpleexperimentwherecaveolaedisruptionshowed thatbothischemia-andopioid-inducedcardiacprotectionwaslost.Thissingleexperimentlaunchedfurther inquiryintodefiningtheroleofcaveolaeintheheartespeciallyasitrelatestodiseasepathology;?thiswasthe initialresearchfundedbyaScientistDevelopmentGrantfromtheAmericanHeartAssociation.Thelaboratory hassustainedandexpandedthisfocusovertheyearstouncoverfundamentalbiologytodefinetheroleof caveolaeincardiacdiseaseanddeveloptoolstotargetthistherapeutically.ThePatelLaboratoryhasalso uncoveredaspecific,critical,andinterconnectedroleofcaveolininregulatingcellularmetabolismthatisbeing appliedtomorecomplexstudiesrelatedtoneuroscience,cancer,diabetes,aging,andrenalbiology.
AsthegeneralpopulationandVeteransage,theirheartswillundergodramaticchangesreducingtheir capacitytoworkefficientlyandincreasesusceptibilitytoinjury.Veteransalsoexperienceanumberofdiseases (i.e.,diabetes,kidneyfailure,liverdisease,etc.)thatwillallimpactdirectlyorsecondarilytodysfunctioninthe heart.TheresearchperformedinthePatelLaboratorydeterminestounderstandnovelmechanismsforstress adaptationintheheart.Thesemechanismswillallowidentificationtherapeuticsforheartdiseasetolimitthe morbidityandmortalitylinkedtocardiovasculardisease.Thereisclearclinicalimplicationandneedfor interventionslimitingseverityofinjurytothemyocardiumduringstressinthesettingofage.Interventionsthat helptoprotecttheheartmaybeusefulinpatientsundergoingsurgeryespeciallythoseathighriskfor cardiovascularevents.TheresearchhasthebroadpotentialtoimpacthealthyagingintheVeteranpopulation inanumberofareasincludingbutnotlimitedtocancerbiology,neurodegeneration,andvascularbiology.
