Unmet Need
According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. About 6.2 million adults in the United States have heart failure. The Ca2+ and Calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a known driver of heart injury, promoting heart failure, arrhythmias and death. There is great interest in further understanding the molecular mechanisms governing CaMKII signaling and in finding potential CaMKII inhibitors with therapeutic applications. Both of these goals have been hindered by the lack of tools for measuring CaMKII activity with precise temporal and subcellular resolution in living cells. Therefore, there is a strong need for the development of novel bioassays to assess CamKII activity.
Technology Overview
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a novel genetically encoded fluorescent biosensor (CaMKAR) that reports CaMKII activity in living cells and in vitro. The CamKAR biosensor sensitively reports CaMKII activity and has vastly superior dynamic range, signal-to-noise ratio, and activation kinetics when compared to existing sensors. CamKAR measures bona fide, direct CaMKII-mediated phosphorylation and does not cause CaMKII overexpression. The biosensor is also responsive to CaMKII activity in living cells or in cell free assay conditions.
Stage of Development
The inventors have validated the biosensor sensitivity and specificity in living cells and in vitro.
Publication
N/A
