A research team in Switzerland has discovered the lipid responsible for killing tissue during a heart attack, raising potential for a new treatment model for heart attacks and strokes.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/UNIGE/jdp
العربية
ar
باحثون في جنيف يكتشفون أسباب تلف الأنسجة الناجم عن الأزمات القلبية
Heart attacks are the result of a clot that blocks the blood flow to the heart. This cuts off the oxygen supply to the heart tissue, causing the cells in the tissue to die quickly. However, some animal species appear to cope better than others with such a lack of oxygen. For example, worms can live three days and some turtles can live several months without oxygen.
In a study published in Nature MetabolismExternal link on Monday, a research team led by Howard Riezman from the University of GenevaExternal link sought to investigate why this lack of oxygen in mammals leads to the rapid death of tissue and why some animals cope better than others.
Working with worms, the researchers discovered that the damage is the result of a special fat molecule (lipid) called deoxydihydroceramide that increases to dangerous levels when there is a lack of oxygen in the tissue. The lipid blocks certain cellular functions, permanently damaging the heart tissue.
To confirm the role of the lipid, scientists inserted a human mutation into the worms’ genome, triggering a rare hereditary disease that increases the amount of the lipid. This made the worms highly sensitive to oxygen deficiency, confirming the scientists’ discovery.
Hope for treatment
A research team from the University of Lyon in France took this one step further by administering an inhibitor to mice that slowed down the production of the lipid identified.
Compared to the control group, mice with the inhibitor suffered about 30% less tissue damage.
“This reduction is quite impressive,” Riezman said on Monday. The results give hope for the development of treatment for heart attacks and strokes.
The research team included scientists at the University of Geneva, the University of Lyon and the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale in France.
More
More
Nobel winner Mayor feted at home university
This content was published on
Nobel Prize winner Michel Mayor was the star attraction as he attended the Dies Academicus at his alma mater, Geneva University, on Friday.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
This content was published on
On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
This content was published on
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
This content was published on
The cantonal police of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have arrested and convicted five cocaine dealers in Chur within a week.
This content was published on
The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.
Top Swiss politician experiences drone attack in Ukraine
This content was published on
Maja Riniker, president of the Swiss House of Representatives, said she had to spend two hours in a bunker during her trip to Ukraine because of Russian drone attacks.
This content was published on
A rockfall caused an interruption of several hours on the Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway between Thusis and Tiefencastel on Thursday.
This content was published on
A 600kg bull that escaped in the Montalchez region of canton Neuchâtel has been found in a pen surrounded by several cows.
Bern chatbot wins UN artificial intelligence award
This content was published on
The Bern-based chatbot "Sophia" has won the United Nations' "AI for Good Impact Award 2025". The chatbot is designed to help victims of domestic violence.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss scientists win Nobel Prize in Physics
This content was published on
Swiss scientists Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics together with Canadian-American James Peebles.
ETH Zurich remains best university outside the UK and North America
This content was published on
Switzerland is the only nation outside Britain and North America to make it into the top 20 of the latest Times Higher Education university rankings.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.