Imagine if a damaged heart could miraculously repair itself?
Chinese scientists believe that this revolutionary act could soon be a reality after they discovered a way of transforming ordinary tissue into beating heart muscle cells.
Researchers from Fudan University in Shanghai unearthed a treatment that works by coaxing stem cells into developing into new cardiac cells.
The study tested these molecules on zebra fish and mice, and found that the stem cell treatment enlarged the heart by stimulating the production of new cardiac muscle cells.
Scientists from the study, published in the Journal of Chemistry & Biology, are hoping this exciting discovery will pave the way for more effective treatment for heart disease in the near future.
“Despite advances in medicine, management of myocardial infarction heart attack and heart failure remains a major challenge,” says Dr Tao Zhong from the study.
“Developing therapies that can stimulate heart muscle regeneration in areas of infarction would have enormous medical impact.”
Cardiovascular disease kills over 180,000 people a year in the UK alone and contributes to one in three deaths in Britain. In the UK, 28% of premature deaths in men are caused by heart failure., according to the British Heart Foundation.
If this discovery makes you feel positive for the future, take a look at other incredible medical breakthroughs of 2011.