Antibodies against heart attack and stroke
Just one injection can save a patient after a heart attack or stroke
Elvira Koshkina, Compulenta
Injection of antibodies to a patient who has suffered a heart attack or stroke can significantly reduce the number of cells that die in these diseases, says a team of scientists from King's College London (UK), Fukushima Medical University (Japan) and the State University of New York (USA).
Heart attack (myocardial infarction) and stroke (cerebral ischemia) can cause potentially devastating inflammatory damage to the tissues of the heart muscle and brain cells. Heart attacks occur due to impaired blood flow caused by a blood clot or bleeding, and this obviously interferes with the supply of oxygen to the organs. Most long-term damage occurs when the blood supply is restored and the immune system attacks oxygen-starved cells for some reason.
The researchers identified the enzyme MASP-2 (Mannan Binding Lectin-Associated Serine Protease-2), which is found in the blood and is a key component of the lectin pathway of the complement system activation. The lectin pathway is responsible for tissue inflammation, which occurs after the restoration of blood supply to the organ after ischemia. Experiments have shown that it is possible to neutralize MASP-2 if the concentration of antibodies rushing to it is increased.
The technique has already been successfully tested on animals: one injection was enough to interrupt the molecular process that leads to organ damage. It has also been experimentally established that the new tool significantly improves the results of organ transplantation operations and can be used in any surgical procedures when the viability of tissues is threatened due to a temporary disruption of blood supply.
The creation of the new methodology lasted seven years. The culmination of the study will be the first clinical trials, which will be held in Leicester, at Glenfield Hospital.
The results of the study (W.J.Schwaeble et al., Targeting of mannan-binding lectin-associated serine protease-2 (Masp2) confers a significant degree of protection from myocardial and gastrointestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury) are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Prepared based on the materials of PhysOrg: Simple injection could limit damage from heart attacks and stroke.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru20.04.2011