The resulting three-node loop underlying system map could help facilitate new treatments that address the interconnectedness of heart attacks.

“Current treatments for heart attacks focus on repairing the heart, including bypass surgery, angioplasty, and blood thinners, all of which are invasive,” Dr. Augustine said. “This study shows that therapeutic responses can be promoted, perhaps by manipulating the immune system.”

Ongoing research in Augustin’s lab is investigating the mechanisms underlying the three node connections and their functions.

Co-authors of the study are Saurabh Yadav, Van K. Ninh, Jonathan W. Lovelace, Jingrui Ma, Alexander Pham, Rebecca J. Salamon, Enyu Ji, Youngseo Na, Zhenxing Fu, Stephanie I. Ugochukwu, Wanning Cui, Ruchi Sehgal, Kevin R. King, and Vineet Augustine.

Research funding was provided by the American Heart Association, the Searle Kinship Foundation, the Edward Mallinckrodt Foundation, the Klingenstein-Simmons Foundation, the Brain Research Foundation, the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind Research, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the W. M. Keck Foundation, the Hellman Fellowship, the University of California, San Diego, the Scripps Research Institute, and the National Institutes of Health. (5UL1TR002550-03), Helen Doris Foundation, Doris Scholarship, Doris Skaggs and Shay Cursi Scholarship, Redell Family Research Scholarship, Startneuro, CAMP and Genentech Scholarships.