Heart failure remains the leading cause of mortality in the U.S. During a heart attack blood stops flowing into the heart. Without oxygen, part of the heart muscle dies. The heart muscle does not regenerate; instead, it replaces dead tissue with a scar made of cells called fibroblasts that do not help the heart pump. If there is too much scarring, the heart progressively enlarges, or dilates, weakens and eventually stops working.
The usual caveat here is that it takes time to go from the laboratory testing like this to viable treatments that are widely available. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in many countries. A treatment that could reverse it by growing brand new heart muscle could save millions of lives and extend many people’s lifespan.
The usual caveat here is that it takes time to go from the laboratory testing like this to viable treatments that are widely available. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in many countries. A treatment that could reverse it by growing brand new heart muscle could save millions of lives and extend many people’s lifespan.
Hopefully it won’t just extend lifespan but healthspan as well.