Dr. Nils Bömer and Prof. Peter van der Meer of the department of Cardiology have been awarded an NWO ENW Open Competition-KLEIN grant worth 355.000 euros.
The grant will fund their application: ‘Selenium: Pre-clinical screening of a potential cost-effective nutraceutical for heart failure’ for 4 years in which they will dive deeper into the link between selenium and heart failure, and especially the pathophysiological mechanisms involved. See this short summary:
“An aberrant equilibrium of minerals and micronutrients in the patients’ blood (e.g. iron and zinc) is closely involved in the progression of heart failure. A recent study showed that approximately a quarter of patients with heart failure were found to have a selenium shortage. Shortage of selenium makes the effects of heart failure more severe, as the body’s defense response is less strong. Selenium insufficiency in patients with heart failure consequently causes reduced exercise tolerance, poorer quality of life and a higher mortality rate. We will investigate whether selenium shortage also plays a role in the development of heart failure.”
ENW-KLEIN grants are intended for curiosity-driven, fundamental research of high quality and/or scientific urgency. The ENW-KLEIN grant offers researchers the opportunity to elaborate original, innovative, risky ideas and to realize scientific innovations that can form the basis for the research themes of the future.
