TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – 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. Researchers say tiny extracellular bubbles, or vesicles (sEVs), secreted by the diseased heart to heal itself, are released into the bloodstream and promote the growth of cancer cells throughout the body.

The discovery could improve heart disease treatment protocols so that clinicians also take into account the increased risk of cancer.

The study was carried out by Professor Jonathan Leor of the Neufeld Heart Institute of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at TAU ​​and the Tamman Institute of the Leviev Center in Sheba, and his student Tal Kohler, a medical student and research student at the TAU Faculty of Medicine. carried out under guidance. . This study was published on March 15, 2024. Circulation.

“In 2013, Israeli cardiologist Tal Hasin was the first to show that there is a link between heart failure and cancer,” Kohler explains. “People with heart disease have a higher risk of developing cancer, and heart disease is already a leading cause of death, so many people are at risk of cancer. were found to secrete cancer-promoting factors and identified them as small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). These are small particles enclosed in a simple membrane that are found in all cells. However, damage to the heart releases these vesicles in large numbers, which contain factors associated with inflammation, healing, growth, new blood vessel formation, and changes in the immune system. The cysts travel through the circulatory system and eventually reach tumors or precancerous tissue.

“Following myocardial damage and progression to heart failure, sEVs containing growth factors and small nucleic acid molecules that promote cell division are released,” continued Caller. “These sEVs contribute to the healing of damaged heart tissue. However, these vesicles released from the damaged heart travel within the body’s circulatory system and ultimately target cancerous growth. will do.”

“Many theories have been proposed to explain the increased risk of cancer in people with heart disease,” Professor Leor says. “They started with common risk factors such as smoking, diabetes and obesity, and ended with a single protein or molecule. We now know that diseased hearts secrete sEVs containing thousands of different growth factors. We show for the first time that these bubbles directly promote the growth of certain tumors and modulate the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to tumor growth.”

To test their hypothesis, TAU 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, this is not a viable treatment option as inhibiting vesicle production results in severe undesirable side effects.

“Systemically inhibiting the formation of sEVs reduces cancer incidence, but it also causes collateral damage in the process,” says Professor Leor. “That’s why we tried a different strategy. We treated the patient’s heart so that there was less damage to the heart tissue and the heart secreted fewer sEVs. ” We used spironolactone, a well-known 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 sEVs secreted by the heart decreased by 30% and cancerous tumors grew more slowly. Our experiments showed that This shows that we can intervene in heart disease in a way that reduces the risk of cancer in heart patients.”

“Existing heart treatments may need to be adjusted to take into account cancer risk,” Kohler concluded. “Furthermore, not all patients are at high risk, so it is also possible to find biomarkers of increased cancer risk among heart disease patients. There is still a lot of work to be done.”

The study was funded by the Israel Cancer Society and the Israel Science Foundation.

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Space monitor for chickpea cultivation

JERUSALEM — A new non-invasive method for assessing water efficiency in chickpeas, developed by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, offers farmers a powerful way to fine-tune irrigation and make chickpea cultivation more sustainable. May provide tools.

This new research, published in the journal Precision Agriculture, has the potential to transform chickpea management, increasing both crop yield and water efficiency. Chickpeas, also known as chickpeas, are a globally important grain legume and a major protein source around the world, especially in the Middle East, South Asia, and the Mediterranean region.

The proposed method has the potential to transform agriculture by allowing farmers to efficiently optimize irrigation schedules. This has the potential to increase crop yields and improve water use efficiency, contributing to resource conservation and reducing environmental impact.

Additionally, this innovation has far-reaching implications for global food security and demonstrates the impact advanced precision smart farming technologies can have on sustainable farming practices.

The remote sensing aspect of this project was led by researchers at the Hebrew University Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Science and Agricultural Genetics, including Ittai Herman, Ph.D. Candidate Roy Sadeh. They trained and tested a spectral model for rapid and non-invasive assessment of chickpea water status based on estimates of leaf water potential from space and from the ground. The agronomic aspects of the research were carried out by Professor Shahar Abo of Hebrew University and his Ph.D. student Asaf Avneri under the guidance of Dr. Ran Rati and Dr. David Bonfil of the Israel Agricultural Research Institute.

This study consisted of two on-farm experiments and two commercial fields using ground-based hyperspectral imaging and satellite imagery from the Vegetation and Environmental Monitoring with New Microsatellites (VENmS) program. This study aimed to remotely measure the water potential of chickpea leaves grown in the field under different irrigation treatments. In doing so, it became clear that the influence of leaf area index on the ability to remotely estimate leaf water potential was limited.

Additionally, this tool holds promise for physiologists and breeders in screening drought-tolerant chickpea genotypes, paving the way for larger-scale sustainable agricultural practices. The next step in the project is to combine spectral data from space to improve estimates of leaf water potential.

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Six-legged mountain gazelle (see Hebrew video above)

JERUSALEM — Is something wrong with this gazelle? In March, Nir Leichter, an Army reservist, stopped for coffee in Nahal HaBashour and noticed he had “something strange on his back.” I sent photos of Israeli gazelles to the Society for the Conservation of Nature in Israel (SPNI). This photo was the beginning of an investigation by SPNI’s Urban Nature Director Amir Balaban and his team into Jerusalem’s Gazelle Valley. It is an urban nature site belonging to the City of Jerusalem and managed by SPNI.

An investigation carried out by Balaban and National Parks Department inspector Eliab Masarti determined that the photo was of a well-known gazelle with a single front leg sprouting from the back of its body. Amir immediately rushed to the scene to document this unusual phenomenon. “The gazelle, which began its life in the Kisfim region as a fawn in 2021, has survived a complex postpartum fawning, survived as a young individual, fought off the many predators that endangered the young fawn, matured single and as an adult. I managed to live a wonderful life.” The Nahal Havasor reserve is one of the most important strongholds for Israeli gazelles remaining in the western Negev, especially during the recent war. Contrary to expectations, the gazelles were healthy and strong, with three female gazelles and a fawn born the previous fall. “They have been seen with females in the field, and they don’t put up any resistance because they have extra legs on their backs,” Balaban said.

SPNI added that organ proliferation (polymeria) is a well-known but extremely rare phenomenon. This is a genetic defect and is probably hereditary. It is known as a habitat for cattle, birds and reptiles, but this is the first time an Israeli gazelle has been recorded. “I saw him investigating the harvested fields and waiting for the females. They were very wary and it was impossible to get close, but to record this special gazelle. Slowly, we were able to close the distance. They climbed up the field, relaxing and resting in the gentle heat of the morning sun. Israeli gazelles are protected wild animals by law, and in Israel is the last stronghold of this species. Spring is the peak calving season and there are small fawns in the area. If you come across a fawn hiding in a field, it is not an orphan. During the first few weeks , the deer hides the fawn from predators. Leave the area immediately without leaving any scent traces or residue to avoid attracting predators that will devour the fawn. Perhaps the gazelle is observing from a distance, They will come every few hours to treat the fawn,” Balaban added.

The general situation of Israeli gazelles is not very good. It is estimated that only about 5,000 of this species of gazelle remain in the wild. The main dangers for gazelles in the wild are construction works that destroy their natural habitat and the construction of roads that cut off habitat and isolate gazelles from the species. SPNI and other organizations are fighting to preserve all remaining open space and ecological corridors, while also improving planning processes to ensure that development allows for ecologically significant transitions. do my best. “There is still much work to be done, such as improving areas defined as open spaces that are actually blocked by fences, infrastructure, etc. Other dangers to the lives of gazelles include These are poachers who hunt gazelles,” Amir said, adding, “an extreme increase in stray dogs and jackals preying on gazelles and their fawns.”

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Previous articles were provided by Tel Aviv University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Israel Conservation Society.