from the but-how-do-you-merge-this-patch-on-github? dept.
Medical News Today reports: "Researchers have developed a 'protein patch' that they say reversed damage to mouse and pig hearts caused by heart attack. The new creation could be set to enter human clinical trials as early as 2017." During the course of their research, the scientists involved in the study discovered that the amount of a naturally occurring protein, Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1), is greatly diminished in the lining of the heart following a heart attack. Restoring the protein stimulates cell regrowth and promotes the repair of scar tissue formed after a heart attack, or as the researchers say, "The data suggest that the loss of epicardial FSTL1 is a maladaptive response to injury, and that its restoration would be an effective way to reverse myocardial death and remodeling following myocardial infarction in humans."
(Score: 2, Interesting) by rondon on Friday September 18 2015, @03:30PM
It feels like science and medicine are getting a pretty good handle on the why's and how's of the heart from birth to death. I think, very soon, that the heart will not be a limiting factor for life expectancy.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Friday September 18 2015, @03:51PM
I think, very soon, that the heart will not be a limiting factor for life expectancy.
it never was! the limiting factor for life expectancy has been and still is cancer.
(Score: 2) by WizardFusion on Friday September 18 2015, @04:13PM
..and will always be.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday September 18 2015, @04:17PM
Cancer is a blessing: abundant cell growth
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 19 2015, @10:39AM
Only if you're Henrietta Lacks and have a signed contract with the same kid of terms as modern copyright.
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 19 2015, @04:07AM
Heart disease is the leading cause of death of men and women in both developed and developing countries.
(Score: 2) by jdavidb on Friday September 18 2015, @03:56PM
ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
(Score: 2) by morgauxo on Friday September 18 2015, @05:22PM
That's great news! I just hope they can do that for the brain too before I need it. I'm starting to think that maybe I should expect a future where my body just keeps going and going but my brain slowly turns to mush.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 18 2015, @04:17PM
So, broken hearts can be mended?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 18 2015, @04:58PM
That requires a patch of a different kind.