The Longevity-Associated Variant of BPIFB4 Reduces Heart Disease Severity

Few human longevity-associated gene variants are replicated in multiple patient populations. One of those is a variant of BPIFB4, that appears to improve immune function and lower inflammation by adjusting the behavior of macrophage cells of the innate immune system. Delivering the variant to mice using a gene therapy has similar effects. It may well operate via other mechanisms as well, however. Few proteins in a living cell turn out to have only one purpose. In today's open access paper, researchers report that the BPIFB4 variant reduces the severity of coronary artery disease in humans and mice. Delivering the variant to heart tissue as a gene therapy improves outcomes in a mouse model of heart attack. While reduced inflammation should certainly help in the aftermath of a heart attack, and more broadly in the slow progression of heart disease, this outcome may result from a different mechanism to that involved in the modulation of immune function noted above. The gene therapy approach appears to affect heart cells directly, improving function and protecting against the stresses and damage resulting loss and restoration of blood supply following a heart attack. BPIFB4 and its longevity-associated haplotype protect from cardiac ischemia in humans and mice Unhealthy lifestyles and accrual of risk factors contribute to vascular dysfunction highlighted by cellular senescence and impaired synthesis and secretion of endothelium-derived vasoactive molecules....
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs