Osteoporosis drug shows potential to treat heart disease
Risedronate, a popular osteoporosis medication, may be able to double as a treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), according to new findings in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.[1]
DCM is associated with a heightened risk of heart failure and even sudden cardiac arrest. One of the most common causes of DCM is a genetic mutation that makes it harder for the heart to safely, effectively pump blood.
The team behind this new analysis used advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to see if any FDA-approved medications could potentially reverse one of the mutations behind DCM. This strategy offers hope, the group explained, because it is unlikely that researchers will ever have the time or resources to find treatments for these mutations otherwise.
“We can take a drug that’s approved for another condition and use it to treat some of these rare mutations,” co-senior author Hesham Sadek, MD, PhD, director of the Sarver Heart Center and chief of the division of cardiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, said in a statement. “Drug repurposing using FDA-approved drugs is a fast track to bring these therapies to patients.”
Sadek et al. then performed follow-up studies with cell cultures and animal models. In the end, only risedronate was able to consistently correct the mutation.
“For the first time in an animal model, we found an FDA-approved drug that can correct a gene mutation and normalize heart function,” Sadek explained.
Could risedronate go on to become a successful DCM therapy? Only time will tell. For now, Sadek’s team is planning a clinical trial to investigate the drug’s potential further. The group is also collaborating with National Cardiovascular Research Center in Spain to learn more about risedronate’s potential to reverse worrisome heart mutations and improve care for DCM patients.
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Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.