New York: A groundbreaking study has revealed that heart muscle can regenerate in certain patients with artificial hearts, offering new hope for treating and potentially curing heart failure. The international research team, co-led by experts at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson’s Sarver Heart Center, found that a subset of patients with artificial hearts demonstrated a remarkable ability to regenerate heart muscle.
Heart failure currently has no cure, and treatment options are limited. While medications can slow the progression of the disease, the only solutions for advanced cases are heart transplants or the use of artificial hearts, specifically left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). These devices help the heart pump blood effectively.
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Dr. Hesham Sadek, chief of the Division of Cardiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, explained the significance of the findings:
“Skeletal muscle has a significant ability to regenerate after injury. If you’re playing soccer and you tear a muscle, you need to rest it, and it heals. When a heart muscle is injured, it doesn’t grow back. We have nothing to reverse heart muscle loss.”
The research team analyzed tissue samples from artificial heart patients, provided by collaborators at the University of Utah Health and School of Medicine, led by Dr. Stavros Drakos. The study found that patients with artificial hearts regenerated heart muscle cells at a rate more than six times higher than that of healthy individuals.
“This is the strongest evidence we have so far that human heart muscle cells can actually regenerate,” said Dr. Sadek. “It solidifies the notion that there is an intrinsic capacity of the human heart to regenerate.”
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Implications for Future Therapies
The study also highlights the role of “rest” in the heart’s regenerative capacity. Researchers hypothesize that the inability of the heart muscle to rest, due to its constant workload, is a major reason for its limited ability to regenerate after birth.
By targeting the molecular pathways involved in heart muscle cell division, scientists may be able to enhance the heart’s regenerative ability. This discovery could pave the way for innovative therapies aimed at repairing damaged heart tissue and potentially curing heart failure.
The research underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Experts from the University of Arizona and the University of Utah worked together to advance understanding of heart regeneration, offering new hope for patients worldwide.
These findings, published in the journal Circulationmark a significant step forward in cardiology and open the door to transformative treatments for heart failure.
