Ener-LIGHT

Currently, over 23 million people worldwide are battling a condition referred to by doctors as `heart failure with preserved ejection fraction`. In Austria alone, approximately 150,000 persons are affected. In this type of heart failure, the heart becomes stiff and has difficulty relaxing properly and filling with enough blood, leading to symptoms such as shortness of breath, swollen feet, fatigue and reduced physical performance. Without appropriate treatment, this condition can result in significant hospitalizations and even fatalities. To address this issue, the Ener-LIGHT consortium, led by Ass. Prof. Mahmoud Abdellatif from the Division of Cardiology at the Medical University of Graz, has brought together experts from four European countries in the fields of experimental and clinical cardiology, cell biology, and immunology. They will work together to identify new targets for treatment by enhancing the natural `quality control` mechanisms in the heart cells. The team will test new medicines and genetic approaches in early-stage disease models before confirming their relevance in biobanks of patients. The information gathered will help in planning future clinical studies to determine if these new treatments are also effective for people with HFpEF.