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Radical Method To Mend Heart Damage
A revolutionary discovery has the potential to create a sweeping breakthrough in the health industry with the novel method of repairing tissue damage caused by cardiac arrests.
A proficient team of scientists in US have identified a new-fangled approach to effectively treat heart attack patients, those with heart ailments and children with heart abnormalities. Cells that evolve into fully developed adult heart muscle cease to divide and are thus incapable of restoring tissue damage caused by disease or abnormality. This major hurdle has been overcome with the Boston team having found a means to facilitate cells division, with widespread anticipations that they had the potential to play a major role in the cell renewal process.
The findings that were published in the Cell journal stated that the preliminary research was carried out on rats and mice at the Children’s Hospital Boston who were injected with NRG1 or neuregulin1 believed to be the key growth factor. It was found that when NRG1 was administered to animals like rats, it encouraged heart muscle regeneration and enhanced the general functioning of the heart. Though it is still unclear as to whether NRG1 is directly responsible for the cell renewal process, but the study has revealed that it can augment the regeneration process.
The scientists believe that their findings will provide a substitute to stem cell therapy that is yet in its raw testing stages with imminent risk of side effects. The study reveals a viable technique to stimulate the myocardial cells to propagate.
The next phase of the study would involve a trial on pigs having more commonalities with humans in comparison to rodents. With identical means being identified by the scientists could be proven to work in the human heart, the research team foresees the scenario wherein patients would follow up regular NRG1 infusions for a period spanning to weeks.
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