By analyzing data from multiple genome-wide association studies (GWAS), scientists have identified common variants in the KCNN3 gene that are associated with a form of irregular heartbeat known as “lone atrial fibrillation” (lone AF). This is a type of AF seen in younger individuals with no other signs of heart disease. The finding may open the way to the development of innovative treatments not only for lone AF in specific, but for AF in general. The KCNN3 gene, located on chromosome 1, codes for a potassium channel protein that carries signals across cell membranes in organs including the brain and the heart. While the exact cardiac role of the protein is unknown, it may play a part in resetting the electrical activity of the atria, a process that goes awry in AF. Animal studies have suggested that a related protein, KCNN2, may help control signals originating in the atria and in the pulmonary veins, areas known to be involved in lone AF. The researchers replicated the association of KCNN3 variants with lone AF in data from two additional GWAS involving another 1,000 lone AF patients and 3,500 controls. "The genetic location we have identified could be a new drug target for the treatment of AF," said cardiologist Dr. Patrick Ellinor of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cardiovascular Research Center and Cardiac Arrhythmia Service and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, the first author of the report. "We also will be investigating whether these variants can help us predict patients' clinical outcomes or their response to the various treatments for AF."
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