Solutions for cardiovascular disease from mice gut bacteria

Researchers in Spain identified a molecule produced by bacteria in the gut that could aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis, a type of cardiovascular disease. 

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of deaths in the world. Atherosclerosis, which occurs when arteries become hard and narrow due to inflammation and accumulation of fat deposits, is responsible for most heart attacks and strokes. Researchers at CNIC found that the blood of mice and humans with the disease had high levels of ImP, a molecule produced by bacteria in the gut.  

This discovery could improve early diagnosis of atherosclerosis, which now relies on costly and complex imaging tools. Although doctors use risk factors such as high cholesterol, hypertension and smoking as indicators, the disease is often overlooked since people can appear healthy. 

“We may soon be able to analyse blood for ImP as an early warning signal.” said David Sancho, leader of the study published in Nature. 

The researchers also discovered that when the molecule was given to mice in their drinking water, the animals had more inflammation in general and developed atherosclerosis. This suggests that ImP may contribute as a cause of the disease and could be used to develop new treatments. The team is now working on developing drugs that could block the negative effects of the molecule.