mRNA Therapy Activates Heart Cells
“Getting the human heart to repair itself is the holy grail for cardiologists,” said Professor Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, regarding a new study published in Nature Cardiovascular Research.
Scientists have developed an experimental mRNA treatment that reawakens adult heart muscle cells, prompting them to divide and heal damaged tissue following a myocardial injury, Medical Xpress reported.
Cell Division After Myocardial Injury
Following a heart attack, an adult human heart can lose up to one billion muscle cells. Because the adult heart cannot naturally regenerate this lost tissue, scar formation often leads to heart failure and death.
To overcome this limitation, researchers at the University of Cambridge injected a temporary modified mRNA therapy directly into the hearts of mice. The treatment temporarily activates two specific proteins inside heart cells, known as Myc and Cyclin T1.
Improved Cardiac Function in Mice
Echocardiogram assessments showed that the therapy produced a stronger heartbeat and increased the amount of blood pumped per beat by around 10% compared to mice given a mock treatment. The Cambridge research team observed that these functional improvements persisted at both 28 days and 12 weeks post-injection.
Because the mRNA treatment is localized and short-lived, it does not permanently modify heart cells or trigger uncontrolled overgrowth. Investigators recorded no adverse side effects in the treated mice during the study period.
How mRNA Therapy Targets Heart Cells and Proteins
How does the mRNA therapy target damaged heart cells?
The treatment is injected directly into the heart tissue following an injury, where the modified mRNA surrounds and acts upon the damaged cells.
What specific proteins does the mRNA activate?
The therapy transiently switches on two proteins inside heart muscle cells called Myc and Cyclin T1, which drive cell division and tissue repair.
Why are adult hearts unable to heal themselves naturally?
While human hearts repair easily during development in the womb, heart muscle cells lose their ability to regenerate shortly after birth.
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