Activation of SK channels can lead to heart disease

Qing-Hui Chen's research focuses on hypertension, heart failure and the neuromechanisms that underlie these problems. Specifically, his research examines how a particular ion channel (that regulates resting and action in membranes)—the potassium channel (SK)—is linked to heart disease.

His recent publication in the American Journal of Physiology, Heart and Circulatory Physiology reported that subjects with ventricular tachyarrhythmias (fast heart rhythms) due to acute myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) showed the activation of SK channels. This research helps identify possible causes of heart disease at the cellular level, which may provide a better understanding to researchers designing treatment and prevention strategies for heart-disease patients.