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A new Israeli study has found an increased risk of cancer in people with heart disease.
Previous research has shown that heart disease and cancer may be linked through common risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, and obesity.
However, newly published research reveals a potential link between extracellular bubbles released after a heart attack and an increased risk of developing cancer.
Researchers from the Leviev Cardiothoracic Vascular Center at Tel Aviv University (TAU) and Sheba Medical Center have discovered a mechanism responsible for the increased risk of developing cancer in patients with heart disease. The self-healing secretions from the diseased heart are released into the bloodstream and promote the growth of cancer cells throughout the body.
The researchers estimate that this important discovery could improve treatments for heart disease and allow clinicians to take into account the increased risk of cancer. The study was funded by the Israel Cancer Society and the Israel Science Foundation.
The research was conducted under the direction of Professor Jonathan Leor of the Taman Institute at the Neufeld Heart Institute and Shebaz Leviev Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, and his student and medical researcher Tal Kohler. Ta. Student at Tel Aviv University Faculty of Medicine.The study was published in a medical journal Circulation.
“In 2013, Israeli cardiologist Tal Hassin was the first to show that there is a link between heart failure and cancer,” Dr. Kohler said.
“Heart disease patients are at increased risk of developing cancer, and heart disease is already the leading cause of death, number one in the United States and number two in Israel, so this means many people are at increased risk of developing cancer. means being at risk.
“Our research revealed that diseased hearts secrete cancer-promoting factors, which we identified as small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). All cells secrete these vesicles, but when the heart is damaged, these vesicles are released in large numbers and release factors associated with inflammation, healing, growth, new blood vessel formation, and immune changes. system. These vesicles travel through the circulatory system and eventually reach tumors or precancerous tissue.”
Studies have shown that after myocardial damage and deterioration into heart failure, sEVs containing growth factors and small nucleic acid molecules that promote cell division are released. These sEVs contribute to the healing of damaged heart tissue. However, these vesicles released from the injured heart travel within the body’s circulatory system and eventually target cancerous growths.
“Many theories have been proposed to explain the increased risk of cancer in heart disease patients,” Leor explained. “They started with common risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes, and obesity, and ended with a single protein or molecule.
“We showed for the first time that diseased hearts secrete sEVs containing thousands of different growth factors. These bubbles directly promote the growth of certain tumors and also modulate the immune system. This makes the body more vulnerable to tumor growth.”
To test their hypothesis, the researchers inhibited sEV formation in an animal model of heart disease and found that cancer risk was reduced along with inhibition of vesicle production. However, the researchers said that inhibiting vesicle production causes severe undesirable side effects, so this is not a viable treatment option.
“Systemically inhibiting sEV formation reduces cancer development, but causes collateral damage in the process,” Leor explained.
“That’s why we tried a different strategy: treating the patient’s heart to reduce damage to the heart tissue and secrete fewer sEVs.”We used spironolactone Did. It is well known as an ancient and effective drug used to treat heart failure. When we treated animals with spironolactone at a very early stage of the disease, we found that the heart secreted sEVs by 30 percent and cancerous tumors grew more slowly. Our experiments show that we can intervene in heart disease in ways that reduce the risk of cancer in heart patients. ”
Regarding the clinical implications of this study, Dr. Kohler is cautious: “Existing treatments for the heart may need to be adjusted so that they also take cancer risk into account.”Furthermore, not all patients are at high risk for cancer, so It is also possible to find biomarkers that indicate an increased risk of cancer. This is basic research, and much work still needs to be done to elucidate the relationship between the two. ”
“Research knows no territorial boundaries, so any research result here in Israel is a result for the whole world,” said Moshe Barheim, CEO of the Israel Cancer Society.
“We hope that the new study, which reveals that heart disease secretes extracellular bubbles and increases the risk of cancer, will be immediately applied in Israel and around the world for the precise treatment of patients. “.
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