Experimental study finds remote ischemic conditioning may protect the heart during anthracycline treatment
An experimental study found remote ischemic conditioning protected the heart during anthracycline treatment in tumor-bearing mice without reducing antitumor efficacy. The work supports the ongoing RESILIENCE clinical trial in cancer patients.
Remote ischemic conditioning protected the heart during anthracycline treatment in an experimental model, while not reducing chemotherapy’s antitumor effectiveness, according to a study published in Basic Research in Cardiology. In anthracycline-treated, tumor-bearing mice used to model the clinical situation in cancer patients, animals receiving RIC maintained better cardiac function during treatment, and this cardioprotective effect was not associated with increased tumor growth or reduced antitumor efficacy of chemotherapy.
Anthracyclines are among the most effective anticancer drugs, but can cause serious damage to the heart. In some patients, this cardiac damage appears months or even years after treatment and has a major impact on quality of life. Protecting the heart without compromising the effectiveness of chemotherapy is a major challenge in cardio-oncology.
RIC is a simple, non-pharmacological technique consisting of controlled, brief interruptions of blood flow to a limb, usually achieved by applying a pressure cuff similar to those used to measure blood pressure. The stimulus activates protective mechanisms in the body that help the heart better withstand subsequent stressors, such as the damage caused by certain cancer treatments.
The study was conducted by a team at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC). The findings align with the translational vision of the group coordinating the European clinical trial RESILIENCE, which is evaluating whether RIC can protect the hearts of cancer patients treated with anthracyclines and reduce long-term cardiovascular complications.
Through its Myocardial Homeostasis and Cardiac Damage Programme, CNIC investigates the cardiovascular toxicity of cancer treatments, particularly the damage caused by anthracyclines, with the aim of developing effective and safe therapies. The group also leads major European projects such as the ERC Consolidator Grant MATRIX and the Horizon 2020–HEALTH project RESILIENCE, in collaboration with Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz and CIBERCV, to reduce the incidence of heart failure among cancer survivors.