20 | MUSChealth.org/heart MUSC HEALTH HEART & VASCULAR CENTER When Dr. Jan Griffin first meets patients, they are often short of breath, they can’t sleep and their legs are swollen because of accumulating fluid. Many of them have been to two or three other providers who weren’t able to ease their discomfort. “What I love the most about my job is helping patients feel better. I love seeing a smile on their face after an appointment. It’s great to hear them say, ‘I feel better. I can walk, and I can sleep now,’” said Dr. Griffin, an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology specialist at MUSC Health. Dr. Griffin’s first approach with patients is symptom management, which usually involves easing fluid retention and getting patients on the right balance of medications, she explained. Dr. Griffin’s research focuses on infiltrative cardiomyopathies, particularly cardiac amyloidosis and cardiac sarcoidosis. Treatment for both conditions, especially sarcoidosis, calls for collaboration with other specialists, including those with expertise in dermatology, rheumatology, ophthalmology, cardiology and neurology. “With our interdisciplinary approach at MUSC Health, I can ensure that patients are seen by the right specialist,” said Dr. Griffin, adding that she appreciates her colleagues’ detailed approach to each patient and their shared dedication to getting patients the best care. Dr. Griffin and her team lead clinical trials, some international, for new therapies and treatments they believe will bring groundbreaking changes to patients soon. A clinical trial involving a treatment for transthyretin amyloidosis involving TTR gene editing is one that she said was “very exciting.” Transthyretin is a protein made in the liver. With aging, or when there is a mutation in the TTR gene, this protein can become abnormal and form deposits of amyloid – plaques – in organs including the heart. TTR is one of two main types of amyloidosis that affect the heart. The other type is AL amyloidosis, which is the most common amyloidosis. With AL amyloidosis, plasma cells in the bone marrow overproduce free light chains, which misfold and form insoluble amyloid protein. This AL amyloid protein can deposit in body CARDIAC AMYLOIDOSIS AND CARDIAC SARCOIDOSIS Interdisciplinary Approach Required Dr. Jan Griffin
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