Drug Discovery and Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Key Gene Tied to High Blood Pressure Found

By Drug Discovery Trends Editor | December 30, 2008

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have identified a common gene variant that appears to influence people’s risk of developing high blood pressure, according to the results of a study being published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The STK39 gene is a hypertension susceptibility gene to be uncovered through a new technique called a genome-wide association study and confirmed by data from several independent studies. Located on chromosome 2, the gene produces a protein that helps to regulate how the kidneys process salt, which plays a key role in determining blood pressure.

‘This discovery has great potential for enhancing our ability to tailor treatments to the individual – what we call personalized medicine – and to more effectively manage patients with hypertension. We hope that it will lead to new therapies to combat this serious public health problem worldwide,’ says the senior author, Yen-Pei Christy Chang, Ph.D., an assistant professor of medicine and of epidemiology and preventive medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

But, Dr. Chang says, more research is needed. ‘Hypertension is a very complex condition, with numerous other genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors involved. The STK39 gene is only one important piece of the puzzle,’ she says. ‘We want to determine how people with different variations of this gene respond to diuretics and other medications, or to lifestyle changes, such as reducing the amount of salt in their diet. This information might help us discover the most effective way to control an individual patient’s blood pressure.’

One in four Americans has elevated blood pressure, or hypertension, which can lead to death or result in complications, such as cardiovascular disease, stroke and end-stage kidney disease. Doctors consider the ideal systolic and diastolic blood pressure to be less than 120/80. (The numbers reflect the pressure of the blood against the arteries when the heart beats and is at rest.) When blood pressure is elevated, doctors recommend lifestyle changes or prescribe medications, such as diuretics, which force the kidneys to remove water from the body, in order to treat the condition.

However, patients respond differently to treatments and finding the best treatment among all the possible ones for specific patients is still a ‘try and see’ process, according to Dr. Chang.

Scientists believe multiple genes are involved in the most common form of high blood pressure called essential hypertension. But, because so many factors affect blood pressure, including diet, exercise and stress levels, it has been difficult to pinpoint a specific gene or group of genes, says the lead author, Ying Wang, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The University of Maryland researchers identified the link between the STK39 gene and blood pressure by analyzing the DNA of 542 members of the Old Order Amish community in Lancaster County, Pa., scanning approximately 100,000 genetic markers across the entire genome for variants known as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The researchers found strong association ‘signals’ with common variants of the serine/threonine kinase gene, or STK39, and confirmed their findings in another group of Amish people and in four other groups of Caucasians in the United States and Europe.

People with one particular variant showed slight increases in blood pressure compared to those with a more common form of the gene and were more likely to develop hypertension, researchers found. The researchers estimate that about 20 percent of Caucasians in the general population have this variant of the STK39 gene.

‘With this new scanning approach – the genome-wide association study – we are able to uncover genes that have previously eluded us. The field of complex disease genetics has undergone a revolution in terms of discovering new genes and understanding the genetic basis of common adult-onset diseases,’ says co-author Alan R. Shuldiner, M.D., professor of medicine; head of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition; and director of the Program in Genetics and Genomic Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Release Date: December 29, 2008
Source: University of Maryland School of Medicine 


Filed Under: Drug Discovery

 

Related Articles Read More >

Zoliflodacin wins FDA nod for treatment of gonorrhea
FDA approved ENFLONSIA for the prevention of RSV in Infants
First clinical study results of Dupixent for atopic dermatitis in patients with darker skin tones 
Labcorp widens precision oncology toolkit, aims to speed drug-trial enrollment
“ddd
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest news and trends happening now in the drug discovery and development industry.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
Drug Discovery and Development
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • Medtech100 Index
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Medical Design & Outsourcing
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • R&D World
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Drug Discovery & Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE