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Scientists have identified a new way to repair damaged heart muscles and also recover almost all of its pumping function after a heart attack.
During a heart attack, the organ is deprived of oxygen and the muscles are damaged. The body reacts by sending immune cells to kill dead and dying cells, but these cells themselves cause additional inflammation in the already damaged heart, leading to heart failure.
For the study, published in Journal of Clinical Investigation, the team injected a protein called VEGF-C in mice after a heart attack.
They found that VEGF-C treatment promotes the growth of a network of vessels that are part of the lymphatic system.
The extra lymphatic vessels allow immune cells to be rapidly removed after helping to repair and eliminate dead and dying cells before they can cause significant damage to the inflammation.
This treatment led to better heart healing and better recovery According to the team, after eliminating macrophages, the first line of immune cells that initiate the healing process, other immune cells called Tregs could then enter the injured muscle.
"We started looking at the lymphatic system in the heart a few years ago. We could never have known how crucial it could be for heart repair, "said Paul. Riley from Oxford University
"This research has allowed us to launch a drug discovery program to develop drugs to promote lymphatic vessel growth and rapidly eliminate cells. We could give people after a heart attack in five to ten years, "added Riley.
– IANS
sh / gb / vm
(This story was not edited by Business Standard staff and is generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)
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