VIB-K.U.Leuven researchers describe a new mechanism to enhance the restoration of the blood flow in ischemic diseases, which are among the leading causes of death worldwide. The team of Massimiliano Mazzone demonstrates that blocking the protein PhD2 in white blood cells accelerates the maturation of blood vessels. This leads to a better blood perfusion to organs that had been deprived from blood -- and thus oxygen -- supply by ischemia. This might become a new therapeutic approach in ischemic diseases to prevent damage to the organs.



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