Key points from article :
In normal conditions, blood nourishes the adult heart through coronary vessels.
Coronary vessels and their branches dive into heart muscle to deliver oxygen-rich blood into the inner parts of the heart.
Occlusion of coronary arteries is commonly treated by catheter-mediated reopening.
However, blood clots in the small coronary vessels inside the heart cannot be removed, which can lead to local infarction.
Adult heart can no longer generate new blood vessels from the endocardium, as it is blocked by a connective tissue wall.
VEGF-B growth factor can be used to activate the growth of vessels inside of the heart during cardiac ischemic damage.
It regulates the formation of blood- and lymphatic vessels.
“Re-activation of the embryonic vessel in adult endocardium could be a new therapeutic strategy after myocardial infarction" - Kari Alitalo, Director of Wihuri Research Institute.
Research by Wihuri Research Institute and University of Helsinki published in Circulation.
