Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have published a study on the first animal model of POTS, an essential step in confirming whether or not a condition is an autoimmune disease. Additionally, they report that antibodies similar to those found in POTS patients cause tachycardia in rabbits. Perhaps even more importantly, they have identified a potential new drug that inhibits the effect of the antibodies.
This study demonstrates for the first time a role of adrenergic autoimmunity in the pathophysiology of POTS in two related animal models.
The study also demonstrates that the effects of adrenergic autoantibodies are largely reversed using a compound that blocks the autoantibodies, which was developed by the University of Oklahoma researchers.
The JAHA research article: www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.013006
The JAHA editorial that emphasizes the importance of the findings: www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.014084