Center for Molecular Proteomics for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment

Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death and disability in South Carolina, accounting for approximately 23 percent of the state’s deaths in 2007. Heart failure and heart attacks can be difficult to diagnose and nearly impossible to predict. Seeking to better understand cardiovascular diseases, research conducted by the Molecular Proteomics Center of Economic Excellence (CoEE) is exploring chronic heart failure, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and other ailments. The Center has made significant progress since its approval in 2006. This includes identifying key biomarkers that can help physicians predict the development of diastolic heart failure. Dr. Zile and his team have created a simple blood test that uses these biomarkers to diagnose early heart failure. Four patents have been filed on these biomarkers, and two license-use agreements with two major medical companies have been generated. The important work done in this Center may transform how heart disease is diagnosed and treated.

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