Preventing Ischemia/Reperfusion Damage via Noninvasive Mitochondria-Targeted Therapy
Abstract
Heart attacks and strokes are caused by blockage of blood flow to the heart and brain and often lead to death or long-term disability. The only current way of treating these conditions is by restoring circulation by restarting the heart or opening the blood vessel to allow the blood to get back into the affected area to provide nutrients and oxygen to the tissues. One major problem is that despite the fact that restoring blood flow is crucial, this process itself causes injury when oxygen reenters the tissue and highly reactive and damaging agents called "free radicals" are generated. These free radicals are generated in large amounts by the mitochondria, the so-called powerhouses of the cell, when they experience stress. Free radicals then trigger a series of events that finally lead to the cells demise, resulting in dead tissue. We discovered that the application of specific wavelengths of low-power infrared light at the time of restoration of blood flow substantially reduces the amount of free radicals produced, which allows most cells to survive. Because this treatment is non-invasive and without apparent side effects, it could offer significant advantages and benefit for people who suffer heart attack, cardiac arrest, or stroke. In this proposal, we will accomplish several important steps that are necessary for this novel therapy to be used on humans in the future. We will use purified enzymes that absorb our infrared light and study its effect in the test tube. We will also use intact heart and brain cells that can be grown in the laboratory to test the effect of infrared light at the next higher level in intact cells. Finally, we will use small (rats) and large (pigs) animals to show that our therapy effectively works. These animal experiments are required before such a new therapy can be tested on humans. We have built an infrared light emitting prototype machine that we will use for the animal experiments. As part of this grant proposal, we will also design a prototype device with the final goal of using this therapy on humans in the future. If successful, as suggested by preliminary animal experiments that we have already conducted, this new therapeutic approach could become a safe and non-invasive therapy for millions of patients who suffer from such debilitating conditions as heart attacks, cardiac arrest, and stroke. The therapy can be delivered flexibly in the hospital setting, in emergency vehicles, and in the field.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1610175
Entities
People
- Maik Hüttemann
Organizations
- United States Army
- Wayne State University