New research offers fresh insights into how a type of immune cell can destabilize the fatty deposits, or plaques, that form in arteries during atherosclerosis
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News / Online - 03rd May, 2019) New research offers fresh insights into how a type of immune cell can destabilize the fatty deposits, or plaques, that form in arteries during atherosclerosis.Atherosclerosis is a persistent, inflammatory condition in which plaques build up inside arteries, causing them to narrow and restrict blood flow.When an atherosclerotic plaque bursts or breaks, it can trigger a heart attack or stroke.
Neutrophils are an abundant type of leukocyte (white blood cell) that defend against infection by attacking microbes. They also serve "many roles in inflammation."The new international study reveals that neutrophils can aggravate atherosclerosis by triggering a previously unknown type of cell death that destabilizes arterial plaques.A recent Nature paper describes how neutrophils can induce a series of molecular events that also kills the smooth muscle cells that help to retain the plaques in the artery wall.
"Every inflammatory reaction," says co-corresponding study author Prof. Oliver Shnlein, who is the director of the Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) of Munich in Germany, "results in some collateral damage, because neutrophils also attack healthy cells."He and his colleagues have also designed and made a "tailored peptide" that could potentially target and block the cell-death process.Atherosclerosis and its consequencesArteries are vessels that supply the heart and other parts of the body with oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood, which cells need to function and live.
Atherosclerosis develops when various materials, such as cholesterol, fat, and cellular waste, deposit in the tissue lining the arteries. The deposits, or plaques, build up slowly over time causing the arteries to narrow and harden. When arteries narrow, they impede blood flow and restrict the supply of oxygen and nutrients to cells. Depending on where it occurs, the restricted blood flow can result in heart disease, angina, carotid artery disease, peripheral artery disease, and chronic kidney disease.
