Depletion of nk cells for the treatment of adverse post-ischemic cardiac remodeling

Abstract

Myocardial infarction (MI), the most prevalent manifestation of cardiovascular diseases, is associated with high mortality and morbidity. In particular, long term effects of ischemia-related cardiac damage continue to be a clinical and social burden, due to increased risk of arrhythmias, heart failure and repetitive hospitalizations. Therefore, there is a medical need for the development of therapeutic approaches targeting pathophysiological pathways involved in post-ischemic cardiac remodeling. Now, the inventors obtained several evidences confirming that NK cells promote deleterious post-ischemic cardiac remodeling. In particular, the inventors showed that i) NK cells are recruited in the ischemic heart tissue in mouse, ii) NK cells are detected in human ischemic heart tissue, and iii) NK deficiency protects against deleterious post-ischemic cardiac remodeling, and iiii) NK cell depletion using monoclonal antibody in mice protects against deleterious post-ischemic cardiac remodelling and consecutive ischemic heart failure.

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