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A Healthier Future — One Clinical Trial at a Time: An Interview With Antonio Abbate, MD, PhD

October 15, 2024 by jta6n@virginia.edu

Antonio Abbate, MD, PhD

Antonio Abbate, MD, PhD

Antonio Abbate, MD, PhD, the Ruth C. Heede Professor of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine, joined the UVA School of Medicine in July 2022. As a cardiologist, Dr. Abbate cares for patients with heart disease. He specializes in cardio-immunology and cardio-oncology, evaluating and treating people with heart inflammation (pericarditis and myocarditis), and those at risk for heart complications due to cancer treatment.

Dr. Abbate also leads a team of researchers in the UVA Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center who are exploring the role of innate immunity on the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of various cardiovascular diseases and injury. His research has been supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, internal funding sources, and industry partnerships. “I am passionate about bringing new findings to patients,” Dr. Abbate said. “I work in the lab with basic scientists to discover new treatment targets and develop new drugs, and then design and conduct studies in patients.”

In this installment of our series “A Healthier Future — One Clinical Trial at a Time,” Dr. Abbate discusses his clinical trial titled, “Interleukin-1 Blockade in Acute Myocardial Infarction,” where he examines using the drug anakinra to treat heart inflammation after a heart attack.

Q. What do you hope to learn from this study? Will the results potentially change the standard of care for future patients?

Abbate: The damage to the heart during a heart attack causes an inflammatory response, which in turn causes more damage and promotes heart failure. In this trial, we will test whether blocking Interleukin-1 can quench the inflammatory response and preserve cardiac function and cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with a heart attack.

Q. Does your trial give novel treatment or other opportunities to your/our patients?

Abbate: Anakinra is an Interleukin-1 blocker that is FDA approved for the treatment of systemic inflammatory syndromes like rheumatoid arthritis. In this trial, we are testing whether anakinra is beneficial in treating inflammation secondary to a heart attack.

Q. What is novel about your study design/treatment/intervention?

Abbate: The rationale for this study is based on preclinical studies and prior small pilot studies suggesting a beneficial effects of anakinra. In the current trial, we are testing whether patients randomly assigned with anakinra have less inflammation, better cardiac function and greater exercise capacity than those assigned to placebo.

Q. How will you ensure inclusion of a diverse subject population?

Abbate: Broad inclusivity of a diverse population is essential to determine the validity of the findings when applied in real life. Our team approaches all consecutive patients presenting the UVA Health University Medical Center with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction and provides a simple, but complete explanation of the potential risks and benefits of joining the research study. Our team is composed of diverse individuals representing different sexes, races, age groups, professional background. Over the years, our dedicated and caring team has enrolled more than 800 subjects with more than one third being individuals that are considered unrepresented in clinical trials.

Filed Under: Research