Tackling cardiovascular problems as heart disease toll mounts
Scott Earley, assistant professor in the department of biomedical sciences, has extensive research experience in cardiovascular physiology.
June 14, 2007
Cardiovascular disease is leading killer in U.S.
The statistics tell a grim story. In the United States, 38 percent of the adult population has some form of cardiovascular disease. This year, 1.2 million Americans will have their first or recurrent coronary attack and 479,000 of them will die.
High blood pressure affects 65 million Americans. Each year, approximately 700,000 Americans suffer from their first or a recurrent stroke and, of those, about 160,000 will die. Almost 35 million Americans have high cholesterol levels, a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke.
It's no secret that cardiovascular disease is the single leading cause of death in the United States, but Scott Earley and other cardiovascular researchers would like to reverse that trend by developing a greater understanding of cardiovascular physiology as well as finding potential new targets for pharmaceutical intervention.
Trying to determine the functional significance of TRP channels in vascular cells
"In our laboratory, we are interested in transient receptor potential channels (TRP) that are found in all cells, but we are trying to elucidate their functional significance in the vascular cells," said Earley, an assistant professor in the Colorado State University Department of Biomedical Sciences.
"TRP channels are the last family of ion channels to be described, so we are just beginning to understand their function and significance."
Potential new avenue for intervention into cardiovascular disease
Ion channels are pore-forming proteins that exist in all living cells and play a large role in many biological functions that involve rapid changes in cells, such as cardiac contraction. Earley notes that every function of the cell is mediated through ion channels and understanding how ion channels work will help biomedical research move forward.
Ion channels are a favorite target in the search for new drugs
In the search for new drugs, ion channels are a favorite target, including calcium channel blockers to control high blood pressure. TRP channels offer a potential new avenue for intervention into cardiovascular disease. Earley is studying TRP channels in three cell types involved in vascular function: smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells and astrocytes, glial cells that support the neuronal network. His research work is funded by the American Heart Association.
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MORE ABOUT EARLEY
When Scott Earley came to Colorado State University in March 2006, he saw a unique opportunity to join a department that already had world-renowned research laboratories but also was looking to invest in more entrepreneurial ventures. A previous entrepreneur himself, Earley decided to bring his "start-up" to the Department of Biomedical Sciences and set about creating a new laboratory from the ground up.
"The department had not had a start-up lab for a number of years, so everything from getting basic cleaning supplies to ordering and installing equipment was a learning process for everyone," said Earley, an assistant professor whose research focuses on cardiovascular physiology. "But it's pretty exciting when you are able to come into an organization and build your vision."
Early training as an electrical engineer
Earley grew up in Maine and attended the University of Maine, where he received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. While in school, he worked in a laboratory where he developed an interest in the biological sciences and went on to receive his master's degree in microbiology.
He worked in prion-related diseases at the McLaughlin Research Institute in Great Falls, Mont., before starting a small biotechnology company in Bozeman, Mont., that was interested in developing transgenic animals that would express genes for the production of pharmaceuticals.
Earned Ph.D. after starting small biotechnology company
After selling his share of the company, Earley moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he received his Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of New Mexico's Health Sciences Center in 2002.
Following his graduation, Earley was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Vermont in Burlington, in the laboratories of Joe Brayden and Mark Nelson, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology and a world-renowned researcher in smooth muscle vascular physiology.
Visit Professor Earley online at http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/bms/earley.htm.
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-- Original story published in the Fall 2006 Biomedical Sciences Update.
Contact: Jayleen Heft
Email: Jayleen.Heft@colostate.edu
Phone Number: (970) 491-2655
