Heart bypass without surgery? AGGF1 induces therapeutic angiogenesis through autophagy

Coronary artery disease, the number one killer world-wide, restricts and ultimately blocks blood vessels, cutting off oxygen supply to the heart. A new study reports that treatment with AGGF1, a protein which promotes angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels), can successfully treat acute heart attacks in mice. The therapeutic benefits depend on autophagy, a normal breakdown process that removes and recycles damaged cellular structures.