In particular, his focus on a previously little studied aspect of metabolism enabled him and his team to identify a new hallmark of heart failure: the suppression of the breakdown of branched-chain amino acids in the heart. When these amino acids and related metabolites build up, they impair heart function and drive oxidative stress, leading to heart failure. From this discovery, Prof Wang and his team were able to develop a new drug candidate that has since progressed to phase I clinical trials backed by a global pharmaceutical company.
“This recognition is for all the team members and our collaborators over the years, who have devoted their talents and hard work in order to uncover new knowledge that can one day lead to new therapies for people with heart disease. I am very grateful to each of them and will use this award as a constant reminder that heart disease is still the number one killer and a challenge we must overcome with more research and better knowledge,” said Prof Wang.
But the award holds a deeper—and personal—significance for Prof Wang: “I’m truly humbled by this award from the Association, an organisation that I am very fortunate to call home since the very beginning of my academic career.”
“When I was a junior investigator, the AHA offered crucial funding and access to a community of researchers and physicians for me to interact with, be supported by, learn from and to be inspired. Then, when I was a junior and mid-career faculty, the Association offered critical funding for new ideas and opportunities for networking among the professionals. It also connected me with patients and advocates, enabling me to recognise the relevance of our research output in patient care and impact.”
Prof Wang and his team made their seminal discovery at a time when amino acid metabolism in heart failure and other metabolic disorders was unchartered territory. Previous efforts had focused on the role of fatty acid and glucose utilisation, which is a common feature of heart failure.