Star of millennials and king of luxury streetwear, American designer Virgil Abloh, creator of Louis Vuitton men’s collections, died on Sunday at the age of 41 from a rare and aggressive cancer, heart angiosarcoma.
“He has chosen to endure his fight in private since his diagnosis in 2019″ of cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare malignant tumor located in the heart, explained his family in a post on the designer’s Instagram account, mentioning of ” many difficult treatments ”.
The heart is rarely subject to tumors and angiosarcoma is the most common form when this organ is affected. However, this type of cancer remains very difficult to cure. And there is little research to find the origin or a treatment.
the heart does not repair damaged tissue
According to’Inserm, “Except surgery when the tumor is still localized, there is no consensus on the treatment of this cancer resistant to chemotherapy”. In addition, unlike other organs, the heart does not repair tissue damaged by tumors.
An explanation for this phenomenon is provided by a study published by Trust Mu Science. According to her, the cells that make up the heart, the heart myocytes, stop reproducing at an early stage. While this makes the organ more resistant to the appearance of cancerous tumors, it also prevents cardiomyocytes from “proliferating and repairing damaged cells.”
First great black designer recognized on the fashion scene, committed to the affirmation of Afro-American cultures, Virgil Abloh was a victim of this rare and very aggressive cancer.
The famous stylist had landed in 2018 one of the most envied positions in the fashion and luxury sector, within the flagship brand of LVMH, the world number one in luxury.