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Prabhu Lab publishes research on spleen-heart immune link crucial to heart attack recovery

Sumanth Prabu, MD, Lewin Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Diseases and Chief of the WashU Cardiovascular Division
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Researchers at WashU Medicine’s Center for Cardiovascular Research have discovered that specialized immune cells from the spleen play a critical role in healing the heart after a heart attack. The study, led by Sumanth Prabhu, MD, Division Chief and director of the Prabhu Lab, identifies a unique population of macrophages—immune cells that clean up cellular debris—that travel from the spleen to the heart to support tissue repair and reduce long-term damage.