Technology Used in Pfizer Vaccine Development, Modern COVID-19 Could Prevent Fatal Heart Attacks

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The same technology used to help Pfizer and Moderna develop COVID-19 vaccines could prevent fatal heart attacks, according to doctors at the Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research.

Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use bioengineered ribonucleic acid to trick people into fighting the virus. Researchers at the Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research say they have now learned to use the same technology to prevent the production of a protein related to fatal heart attacks.

Lipoproteins (a), also known as Lp (a), are referred to by doctors as the evil twins of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), commonly known as bad cholesterol. Lp (a) has an additional coil of protein that sinks into the artery wall, causing blood clots and inflammation. This increases the chances of developing cardiovascular disease and suffering a fatal heart attack or stroke.

Dr. Michal Koren is both a cardiologist and research director at the Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research. His research into bioengineered ribonucleic acid helped Pfizer and Moderna develop their COVID-19 vaccines. He says the same technology seems to work against Lp (a).

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When it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, we use RNA messages to boost the immune system’s exposure to spike protein. When we deal with cholesterol issues, we use RNA technology to block messages so that our bodies don’t produce that bad chemical, ”Koren said.

Koren says people who have high levels of Lp (a) may not know they have it because they are not routinely tested. People who suffered a heart attack or stroke in their 30s or 40s usually have a higher level of Lp (a). Very high levels of Lp (a) combined with other cholesterol levels have been found in much younger patients. Koren says this protein is usually hereditary.

“Half of the family members in an index case may also have this problem, so it’s important to understand the genetic relationships of people in a family, especially if someone has had a heart attack or stroke. at an early age, “Koren said.

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RNA treatment under investigation involves an injection similar to the COVID-19 vaccine. If treatment is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, people with high levels of Lp (a) will no longer undergo plasmapheresis, a process that filters the blood just like a dialysis machine that filters the kidneys.