When the heart fails in young athletes, it is often due to the condition of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).
ARVC is estimated to be responsible for half of all incidents of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes during physical activity.
In a study from the University of Copenhagen, scientists found a new mechanism involved in the disease progression. In fact, they also present a potential treatment strategy.
The previously unknown mechanism is a defect occurring in the nucleus, deep inside the heart cells responsible for the contraction of the heart muscle. The defect causes a chain reaction that ultimately results in cell death.
Based on the new insights, the team identified a molecule that may be able to slow down disease progression.
The team studied heart biopsies from healthy individuals and from patients suffering from hereditary ARVC.
They performed deep molecular profiling of the heart samples and identified the molecular differences between the hearts.
Based on these measurements, they formulated hypotheses about the causes of the disease and tested them on mice models and stem cell-derived heart muscle cells.
The researchers found that by activating a specific molecule, sirtuin-3, they could slow down disease development. They, therefore, started a hunt for a molecule with that function.
And with honokiol, they found it. Honokiol is a natural product extracted from the bark and leaves of the tulip tree and has been used as a pain killer in traditional medicine in some parts of Asia.
The hard work does not stop here. The researchers have already launched a follow-up study to examine their findings more closely.
The next step is to determine whether the mechanism they identified is present in all ARVC patients.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies about combo therapy that can cut the risk of heart attack and stroke by half, and people who don’t exercise may die instantly from a heart attack.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies that eating more white bread may increase your risk of heart attack, and results showing these high blood pressure drugs may increase heart failure risk.
The study was conducted by Professor Alicia Lundby et al and published in Circulation.
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