Fat Molecule Holds Clues for Treating Diabetic Heart Disease

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.
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.
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.
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.