And the new blood flow may have stimulated existing heart stem cells to differentiate into
new heart muscle cells.
Surgery or medications require multiple treatments and often carry additional drawbacks, but
creating new heart muscle may last forever.
The study, which was conducted by James Godwin, Ph.D., of the MDI Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, found that the formation
of new heart muscle tissue in the adult axolotl after an artificially induced heart attack is dependent on the presence of macrophages, a type of white blood cell.
He describes these functions as the «yin and yang» of heart tissue regeneration since scar tissue — which serves as an immediate «Band - aid,» but prevents the heart from beating properly over the long term — has to be removed for regeneration of
new heart muscle tissue and restoration of function to occur.
This approach successfully created
new heart muscle from scar - forming cells in hearts of animals, pointing to a new method for regeneration that harnesses cells already present in the damaged organ.
«The results show we can now produce the number of cells needed for human therapy and get formation of
new heart muscle on a scale that is relevant to improving the function of the human heart,» Laflamme said.
According to the lab, MSI - 1436 can potentially be used to stimulate the formation of
new heart muscle after an acute heart attack.
In a series of laboratory and lab animal studies, Heart Institute researchers found that exosomes, tiny membrane - enclosed «bubbles» involved in cell - to - cell communication, convey messages that reduce cell death, promote growth of
new heart muscle cells and encourage the development of healthy blood vessels.
This area of research is in early days, but the answer seems to be yes: there are internal switches that can kick start heart muscle cells in newborn mice; there are heart cells in newly born mammals that look like they might be able to
make new heart muscle; and there are experiments showing how non-muscle cells in the heart can be coopted to become heart muscle cells.
Tissue or adult stem cells — «blank» cells that can act as a repair kit for the body by replacing damaged tissue — encourage the regeneration of blood vessel cells and
new heart muscle tissue.
But in a striking finding, all regenerated heart muscle cells glowed green, indicating that well established cardiomyocytes remaining after injury had likely regressed to a more «youthful» state, started dividing again to replenish lost cells, and then matured a second time
into new heart muscle.
Introducing the defined factors, or factors that mimic their effect, directly into the heart to
create new heart muscle would avoid the need to inject stem cells into the heart and all the obstacles that go along with such cell - based therapies.»
«Although zebrafish look quite different from humans, they share an astonishing 70 percent of their genetic material with humans, including genes important for the formation
of new heart muscle,» Yin said.
At first, people thought it could be possible to just add some stem cells and grow
some new heart muscle cells to replace the ones that had died.
«Although zebrafish look quite different from humans, they share an astonishing 70 % of their genetic material with humans, including genes important for the formation of
new heart muscle,» Yin said in a statement.