Researchers Discover Molecule in Newborn Hearts That Appear to Control Renewal Process

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and yet, most available treatments are unsuccessful due to the fact that damage to the heart tissue is in most cases irreversible.

Generally, mammalian hearts have the ability to regenerate themselves and repair tissue damage. However, this only happens around the time of birth as this ability mysteriously disappears into thin air.

The Discovery of a Miracle Molecule

Researchers have recently discovered a molecule in the hearts of newborns- a molecule that appears to have the ability to control the renewal process, which involves cell and muscle regeneration, and tissue damage repair.

The research which was conducted at the Weizmann Institute of Science and lead by Prof.Eldad Tzahor, research student Alex Genzelinakh, and doctoral student Elad Bassat found that when administered into adult mice hearts injured during heart attacks, the miracle molecule called Agrin, was found to seemingly unlock or rather trigger the renewal process and enabled the repair of damaged heart muscle.

Where the Secret Possibly Lies

According to the researchers, surrounding tissue known as extracellular matrix located just outside the heart muscles could possibly be the holder of the heart renewal secret.

Since most cell-to-cell messages are passed via this matrix while others are stored within its fibrous structure, the researchers experimented with the extracellular matrix from newborns and week-old mice while in the process eliminating the cells until only the surrounding tissues were left.

They then closely observed what would happen when the some ECM bits were added to the heart cells in culture. It was found that the ECM derived from the young subjects elicited cardiomyocyte proliferation, in contrast to older subjects.

The researchers also tested the ability of Agrin in reversing heart damage where they found that a single injection of the molecule into mice hearts almost completely healed the heart tissue and made them fully functional.

Reasons for Inability of Mammalian Hearts to Undergo the Renewal Process

As stated earlier, the ability of mammalian hearts to undergo the renewal process disappears shortly after birth.

According to Prof.Eldad, Genelinakh, and Bassat, the healing process of the mammalian heart following a heart attack is long and in most cases, inefficient.

After damage occurs, the heart muscle cells known as cardiomyocytes are replaced by scar tissue. The scar tissue is sadly incapable of contracting like the muscle cells and thus limits the heart’s ability to pump blood. When this happens, the remaining heart muscles are put under intense stress, which eventually leads to heart failure.

The discovery of Agrin has already provided insights to researchers looking for a breakthrough in restoring the function of damaged hearts.

Hopefully, heart patients will have a real cure in a few years to come. With the new discovery, the scientists are exploring the cues that actually promote heart degeneration.