The role of inflammation in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy

The role of inflammation in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (Dr Alexandros Protonotarios)

Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (AC) is a heart muscle disease that can cause sudden death in young people. The condition is often inherited, but the way in which it damages the heart muscle is poorly understood. One thing we do know about AC is that patients with the condition have inflammation in their heart. Now, Professor Perry Elliot and his team at University College London will try to understand if and how inflammation contributes to the disease, and how we might stop it. Our body has specialised systems to protect against invaders like bacteria and viruses, triggering a process called inflammation. Key players in inflammation are immune cells that circulate in our blood and move from organ to organ to perform their actions. In some diseases, these cells can turn against our own tissues in a process called auto-immunity. In a pilot study of patients with AC these researchers found a high number of immune cells had been instructed to infiltrate the heart tissue. Now, they will delve into this important finding in more detail. Working with people with AC, and studying AC-affected heart tissue, they will try to uncover the role of inflammation in the disease. Greater understanding of the immune system in AC has the potential to improve diagnosis and to pave the way for drug treatments to prevent its life-threatening effects.