REPURPOSING OF GLATIRAMER ACETATE TO TREAT CARDIAC ISCHEMIA IN ANIMAL MODELS

Myocardial injury may ultimately lead to adverse ventricular remodeling and development of heart failure (HF), which is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Given the slow pace and substantial costs of developing new therapeutics, drug repurposing is an attractive alternative. Studies of many organs, including the heart, highlight the importance of the immune system in modulating injury and repair outcomes. Glatiramer-acetate (GA) is an immunomodulatory drug prescribed for patients with multiple sclerosis. Here we report that short-term GA treatment improves cardiac function and reduces scar area in a mouse model of acute myocardial infarction and a rat model of ischemic HF. We provide mechanistic evidence indicating that in addition to its immunomodulatory functions, GA exerts beneficial pleiotropic effects, including cardiomyocyte protection and enhanced angiogenesis. Overall, these findings highlight the potential repurposing of GA as a future therapy for a myriad of heart diseases.