Globally, diabetes affects around 830 million people, accounting for over 10 percent of the human population.
Heart attacks and heart failure remain significant complications for people with diabetes, contributing to a growing health crisis. Researchers at Monash University have uncovered a promising new therapy targeting inflammation, a key driver of heart damage in diabetes patients.
“We found that LXA4 could halve inflammation and scar formation, specifically in cases of heart disease induced by diabetes, as seen in the preclinical animal models,” said Qin Chengxue, a senior author and researcher at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Significance of the Research
She said the findings are significant because they suggest that new therapies could be made from the molecule to help people with diabetes and heart problems.
“With recent advancements in developing more ‘drug-like’ LXA4, our findings point to the potential of LXA4-based therapies as a promising new way to manage diabetic heart disease,” she added.
Treating Heart Inflammation in Diabetes
Heart inflammation in diabetic patients is currently treated in the same way as other heart disease patients, but this new research highlights the potential for more personalised treatments.
Co-author of the study, Phillip Kantharidis, emphasised the importance of this breakthrough.
“This study opens up the possibility of more targeted and effective treatment possibilities for diabetic heart disease patients when combined with their usual blood sugar management medication,” said Kantharidis, a Senior Research Fellow at Monash’s Department of Diabetes.
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First author Ting Fu, said LXA4 was beneficial for promoting beneficial immune responses.
“These good macrophages reduced scar formation (due to chronic inflammation) in the heart and also helped to improve the overall function.”
Although the results showed the benefits of LXA4 in mice, its impact on human patients has yet to be seen.
Health Burden of Diabetes
In Australia, there are an estimated total of 1.5 million people living with diabetes, up 32 percent from a decade ago, according to the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS).
On a global scale, diabetes affects around 830 million people, accounting for over 10 percent of the world’s population, according to the WHO.
New treatments, like those based on LXA4, offer hope for improving patient outcomes while alleviating the strain on the healthcare system worldwide.
The research involved collaboration between the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Department of Diabetes at Monash University’s Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, and University College Dublin.
