Discovery may save millions of lives affected by cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and other pathologies associated with chronic inflammation.
Your name is IDO1and it is an enzyme that acts as a biological “switch”, when deregulating cholesterol processing during episodes of inflammation.
The discovery is researchers at the University of Texas and promises to revolutionize the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and other pathologies associated with chronic inflammation.
The team, led by the chemist Subhrangsu S. Mandal, showed that by blocking the action of IDO1, the immunity cells known as macrophages recover their ability to absorb cholesterol.
Although inflammation is a natural and necessary response from the body to infections and injury, when it becomes chronic it can compromise cellular functioning and increase the risk of serious diseases. In inflammatory contexts, macrophages lose their efficiency in cholesterol capture, which contributes to the clogging of arteries and the appearance of cardiovascular disease.
The study revealed that during inflammation, IDO1 comes into action and generates a molecule called quinureninewhich interferes with the way macrophages deal with cholesterol. By inhibiting IDO1, investigators observed a recovery of the cholesterol cleaning function by these cells, according to the study at ACS.
The team did not stay here and found that another enzyme – nitric oxide SIENTASE (NOS) – Intensifies the harmful effects of IDO1. This finding suggests a double therapeutic approach that aims to inhibit both enzymes, offering a more effective solution against inflammation and cholesterol problems.
The next steps include investigating in greater detail the relationship between IDO1 and cholesterol regulation, as well as identifying other enzymes potentially involved in the process, according to.
