Khaberni - The secret to a healthier and younger heart lies in the vagus nerve, as a recent study revealed that maintaining the bilateral cardiac vagal innervation is an anti-aging factor. Specifically, the right cardiac vagus nerve stands out as a true guardian of heart muscle cell health.
The study was published in the journal "Science Translational Medicine," and the research team included a broad network of Italian and international institutions, characterized by a multidisciplinary approach, integrating experimental medicine and applied biomedical engineering to cardiovascular research.
How does the heart age quickly?
Professor Vincenzo Lionetti explained, "When vagal nerve communication is disrupted, the heart ages at a faster pace."
In this research, the scientists developed an implantable and biodegradable nerve channel, designed to enhance and direct the spontaneous regeneration of the thoracic vagus nerve at the heart level."
An innovative strategy to protect the heart
Lionetti said, "These combined findings open new horizons for cardiac and thoracic surgery and organ transplantation, as they suggest that restoring cardiac vagal innervation during surgery may represent an innovative strategy for long-term heart protection."
The results imply "the possibility of shifting the clinical model of treatment from managing late-stage complications associated with early heart aging to preventing them."
The research team included researchers from the Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Health Sciences at the Santa Anna School of Advanced Studies, and the Biomedical Robotics Laboratory, which contributed to the development of a biodegradable nerve channel used to facilitate the regeneration of the vagus nerve.
The research also involved the University of Pisa, the Tuscany Monasterio Foundation, the University of Udine, the GVM Research and Care Center, the Al-Farabi National University of Kazakhstan, the Leibniz Institute for Aging in Jena, and the Federal School of Applied Arts in Lausanne.
