OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM — A new study conducted by the University of Oxford shows a protein found in tick saliva could be used to treat myocarditis, a potentially fatal heart disease. <br /> <br />Myocarditis is a disease that causes inflammation and damage of the heart muscle, and typically affects young adults. <br /> <br />When the heart becomes infected with a common virus, it releases chemicals called chemokines, which attract cells that cause inflammation. The heart muscle becomes dangerously inflamed and patients would need heart transplants in severe cases. <br /> <br />Tick saliva can contain up to 3,000 proteins — known as evasins — depending on their species. Evasins allow them to feed on blood without causing inflammation, thus making their bites almost unnoticeable. <br /> <br />Researchers at the University of Oxford have identified one particular evasin, P991_AMBCA from cayenne ticks, which could bind to and neutralize chemokines to prevent inflammation, thus potentially preventing myocarditis disease. <br /> <br />“Myocarditis is a devastating disease, for which there are currently very few treatments. With this latest research, we hope to be able to take inspiration from the tick’s anti-inflammatory strategy and design a life-saving therapy for this dangerous heart condition. We may also be able to use the same drugs to treat other diseases where inflammation plays a big part, such as heart attack, stroke, pancreatitis, and arthritis,” Professor Shoumo Bhattacharya, the study’s lead author and Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Oxford said in a press release. <br /> <br />The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
