Did you know that the heart is capable of repairing itself even after a severe myocardial infarction ? A scientific study from 2022 confirms this fascinating mechanism:
In fact, new research has confirmed that the immune response of the body and the lymphatic system (part of the immune system ) is a decisive element in the process in which our heart repairs its own tissues after a heart attack that has caused damage to the heart muscle. According to the scientists, macrophages – specialized cells that can destroy bacteria or initiate useful inflammatory responses – play a decisive role in this delicate but important process. The VEGFC protein , produced by these white blood cells, captured the attention of the experts. “We found that macrophages, or immune cells that rush to the heart after a heart attack to ‘eat’ damaged or dead tissue, also induce vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC) which triggers the formation of new lymphatics and promotes healing. “- reports pathologist Edward Thorp of Northwestern University in Illinois. The researchers describe the process by comparing it to the fictional story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde:
“good” macrophages that produce VEGFCs and “bad” macrophages that do not produce any VEGFCs but cause a pro-inflammatory response that can cause further damage to the heart and surrounding tissues. In order for the heart to repair itself completely, the dying cells must be cleared , a process known as efferocytosis in which macrophages play an important role. By studying this process in cells in the lab and in mice , the team identified how the right type of VEGFC-producing macrophages did adequate repair work. What future research might look into next is How to increase the number of useful macrophages in the heart and reduce the number of – or even eliminate – harmful macrophages , increasing the chances of healthy healing:
“Our challenge now is to find a way to administer VEGFC or to get these macrophages to induce more VEGFC in order to speed up the heart’s repair process,” says Thorp . By the time people have a heart attack , they become patients at high risk for heart failure , with a heart unable to continue pumping blood throughout the body as it does in healthy people. Not just in the United Statesbut also in Europe and in much of the Western world, heart attacks can kill the patient, even in the case of constant drug therapy. An alternative or additional, non-invasive method could help doctors and scientists to learn more about the biological processes that occur in response to a heart attack, particularly how the process of hepherocytosis is used to trigger the VEGFC protein needed for muscle repair. cardiac. “We are working to understand more about the progression to heart failure after a heart attack in order to intervene early and restore the course of heart repair , ” says vascular biologist Guillermo Oliver of Northwestern University. The research was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation .
