Source-foxnews.com
Breakthrough in Lupus Research
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among patients with lupus, an autoimmune disorder characterized by the immune system attacking the body’s own tissues and organs. This includes the heart, blood vessels, lungs, joints, brain, and skin. Lupus myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, can severely disrupt heart rhythm and function. Despite its seriousness, the precise mechanisms underlying this condition are not well understood, making it difficult to study effectively. Researchers have long questioned why some lupus patients develop myocarditis while others do not and why the severity of symptoms varies so widely, from mild discomfort to severe heart failure.
Revolutionary Approach Using Engineered Heart Tissues
A new study published on August 15 in Nature Cardiovascular Research has made significant strides in addressing these questions. Conducted by a collaborative team from Columbia Engineering, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Harvard University, the research has unveiled that autoantibodies alone can have a direct impact on heart function in lupus patients. The team engineered millimeter-sized cardiac tissues from healthy adult human stem cells and exposed them to autoantibodies found in the blood of lupus patients, both with and without myocarditis.
They discovered that the patterns of autoantibody binding to the heart tissue were dependent on the type and severity of myocardial damage. For instance, patients with severe myocarditis exhibited autoantibodies targeting dying cardiac cells, whereas those with weakened heart function had autoantibodies that primarily affected live cells.
Implications and Future Directions
The study identified four specific autoantibodies that could directly influence heart muscle damage. These findings are poised to enhance the identification of lupus patients at high risk of developing heart disease and may lead to new therapeutic strategies. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, the study’s lead researcher and a prominent bioengineer, expressed her excitement about the potential of these engineered heart tissues to model complex diseases accurately. She highlighted the groundbreaking nature of using these models to simulate organ-level functions and investigate disease progression.
The study team, including physicians Robert Winchester and Laura Geraldino-Pardilla from NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, as well as researchers Christine and Jonathan Seidman from Harvard University, aims to further explore the mechanisms of cardiac disease in lupus and refine diagnostic and treatment methods. Sharon Fleischer, the study’s first author, emphasized the innovative approach of combining engineering and stem cell technology to tackle longstanding issues in heart disease related to autoimmune conditions. This collaborative effort reflects a significant advancement in understanding and addressing lupus-related heart damage.
