Protein Can Stimulate Stem Cells in Heart to Regenerate
In this image of heart cells in a mouse that has had a heart attack, some of the red cells are new cells generated to repair the heart attack damage.
Scientists discovered that mice who received daily injections of thymosin beta-4, a naturally occurring protein found in the body, were able to survive heart attacks. The protein stimulates stem cells found in the epicardium, the outermost layer that surrounds the heart, to grow more heart muscle to replace the damaged ones.
When heart muscle is starved of oxygen because of a blood clot, that part of the heart muscle dies. The condition is not reversible. The bigger the heart attack, the greater the area of destroyed heart muscle tissue, causing the heart to pump less effectively. Utilizing the body’s own stem cells to regenerate tissue avoids the problems associated with rejection of transplanted stem cells.
Researchers from University College London working in conjunction with Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Harvard Medical School found that the heart contains resident stem cells, called epicardium-derived progenitor cells (EDPC) which can be mobilized on short notice if given daily injections of the thymosin beta-4 peptide previously shown to help repair damaged vascular pathways. Previously, scientists believed that the ability to transform progenitor cells into specialized cells, including heart muscle, was lost in adults.
The discovery leads to the possibility of providing medication to people at high risk of heart attacks to help them recover more quickly in the event they do sustain a heart attack by utilizing the body’s own repair mechanisms. The research was published in the on-line journal Nature on June 8, 2011.
For more information about this fascinating research, follow this link. You can also watch a 1 minute video about the research into cardiac cell regeneration.
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