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RandomFactor writes:

Researchers at King's College in London, the Fondazione Monasterio hospital in Pisa and the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies university in Pisa have determined that expression of microRNA-199a regenerates cells in pig hearts damaged during heart attacks, according to an article published Wednesday. Most research into regenerating damaged heart tissue has been based on stem cells and unsuccessful up to now.

In this breakthrough, the researchers identified a gene in humans that causes the body to produce cardiac muscle cells.

At the moment, the gene typically switches off a month into our lives, meaning we have to make do with those cells for the rest of our lives. This is why heart attack damage cannot be mended.

In this study, scientists managed to isolate functioning versions of the gene and inject them into pig hearts in a harmless virus, which spread them across the organ.

The process was highly successful, repairing "a large part of the damage" after a month by increasing muscle and decreasing scarring in the heart. This left it almost fully functioning, according to [Professor Mauro Giacca of King's College].

It should be noted that while this repair of scar tissue is encouraging, there are potential downsides also

subsequent persistent and uncontrolled expression of the microRNA resulted in sudden arrhythmic death of most of the treated pigs

Accordingly the article notes that "dosage of this therapy needs to be tightly controlled."

There are currently 23 million individuals in the world affected by mycardial infarctions which cause this type of (currently) permanent damage.

Original Submission