2024-04-16 18:00:00
A Spanish study has shed light on the mechanisms behind cardiac damage caused by anthracyclines, a drug commonly used in the treatment of cancer. The research, carried out by a team from the National Cardiovascular Research Center (CNIC) and published in the journal ‘JACC: CardioOncology’, identifies possible therapies for this complication.
The team has discovered that one of the first signs of chemotherapy-induced heart damage is heart cell atrophy, caused by damage to cardiomyocyte fibers (cardiac cells), which may be a precursor to long-term cardiotoxicity.
Based on these results, we analyzed whether a high-protein diet could prevent this early atrophy and, therefore, reduce the risk of cardiotoxicity. Preliminary results are encouraging, the researchers acknowledge, suggesting that a high-protein diet, possibly with protein supplements, could be beneficial.
Furthermore, a significant reduction in fatty acid metabolism has been observed in the early stages of cardiotoxicity. It is believed that increasing this metabolism, possibly through a diet rich in Omega 3 fatty acidscould be another effective approach to prevent cardiac toxicity.
This nutritional approach would be implemented before each cycle of chemotherapy, in the hope of preparing the heart to better resist the harmful effects of the drugs, potentially avoiding serious complications in the future.
With more than 4 million cancer diagnoses each year in Europe, cancer treatment has improved significantly, increasing survival rates. However, anthracyclines, used in the first line of treatment for various types of cancer along with other medications, can cause cardiac toxicity. It is estimated that around 3 million patients in Europe receive treatment with anthracyclines annually.with one-third developing some form of cardiac toxicity, and more than 5% facing irreversible heart damage resulting in chronic heart failure.
Despite decades of use, a lack of complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind cardiac damage has hampered the development of effective treatments.
cardiac metabolism
The team led by Borja Ibáñez of the CNIC focused on cardiac metabolism, particularly in mitochondria, in an experimental model, identifying the mechanisms involved in this process.
Ibáñez explains that the heart, as the organ with the highest energy demands in the body, depends on a continuous energy supply, mainly provided by the mitochondria. His team observed significant metabolic alterations in the heart caused by anthracyclines, affecting fuel transport and mitochondrial energy production, even before a decrease in the contractile function of the heart was evident.
These metabolic alterations, says Anabel Díaz-Guerra, first author of the study, «lead to early cardiac atrophy, an early manifestation of irreversible damageeven before cardiac dysfunction is detected with conventional techniques.
The researchers assure that these data represent a important step toward developing preventive strategies to protect cardiovascular health of patients during cancer treatment.
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