The research center Médica Aplicada (CIMA) of the University of Navarra has received one of the four Novartis grants awarded by the Renin Academy. This institution has as goal to develop scientific initiatives related to the inhibition of renin, a protein core topic in the onset and evolution of hypertension.

The award, endowed with 34,000 euros, will be used to study the cardiac effects of pro-renin. According to Dr. Javier Díez, director of area of Cardiovascular Sciences, "pro-renin is the precursor of renin, a protein that plays a role core topic in the development and evolution of arterial hypertension and the involvement of its target organs".

In recent years, evidence has accumulated supporting a possible direct role of pro-renin in cardiovascular damage. "In this study, we are going to study the possible harmful effects of pro-renin on the heart, to study in depth the mechanisms involved and to evaluate its functional impact. We also want to analyze the capacity of a new antihypertensive drug class , direct renin inhibitors, to block these deleterious actions of pro-renin in the myocardium."