The IRONHEART research group of the University of Debrecen (DE) has discovered a new molecule from which a drug can be made for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, the institution announced on its website on Tuesday.
In Hungary, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and one of the most important risk factors for the deterioration of the quality of life. That is why the IRONHEART program was primarily aimed at exploring new prevention and treatment options, they wrote.
According to the announcement, the research network has established one of the international centers for vascular and cardiovascular diseases at the University of Debrecen. The complexity of the program is indicated by the fact that it also covers the problems of the elderly, very seriously ill people, starting from the vascular diseases of premature infants.
“Our project is unique because it conducted the basic research along with clinical trials to analyze the relationships. It is also special because, in a unique way in the country, our programs were geographically side by side, in close proximity, and the theoretical institutes and clinics could work together, ”quoted academician György Balla, professor and professional leader of the project.
One of the most important results of the four-year IRONHEART program is that experts have found a new molecule (BGP-15) from which a drug can be made in the future. Clinical trials are already underway and the results are convincing, the professor added.
Professor Zoltán Csanádi, head of the arrhythmia sub-program, emphasized that the drug molecule has been shown to be safe in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias based on human clinical trials, and they hope that they will soon be examined in the form of heart failure with relaxation disorders.
The IRONHEART program has enriched science with a drug molecule in an area where there was not even an effective drug candidate. This is also a huge value for the University of Debrecen and cardiovascular science, he emphasized.
The research team also achieved outstanding results in improving quality of life in chronic kidney disease, stroke patients, and chronic cardiovascular complications caused by Covid-19.
Oncology was also a sub-program of the IRONHEART program. The vascular system of human tumors aggressively promotes growth and the development of metastases. In this connection, the researchers also studied the destruction of the blood vessels feeding the tumor and the inhibition of vascular development. In the four-year program, modern laboratory procedures and methods have also been developed, which can become a part of everyday routine diagnostics – read in the announcement.
The IRONHEART consortium consisted of 11 research groups, with two academics and nine doctorates from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences leading the sub-programs. The project employed more than 130 professionals and produced about 100 international, high-quality scientific papers.
The professional leaders also considered it important to educate the young people in science: young researchers participating in the research and performing outstandingly will continue to be employed at the university, providing them with a researcher career model, they said.
The program was implemented with a non-refundable grant of HUF 1.2 billion.
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