Scientists from the University of Bologna have found that glucocorticoid hormones are partly responsible for the inability of the heart muscle to recover from a heart attack, and they have also found a way to restore the heart’s ability to regenerate. The study was published in the journal Nature Cardiovascular Research.
The scientists found multiple receptors for glucocorticoids in the heart tissues of newborn mice. By “turning off” the junction of these receptors using genetic modification, the researchers observed a pause in the differentiation of heart cells – they continued to divide and grow despite losing these abilities.
The biologists tested an already available glucocorticoid receptor blocker approved for use in humans. They have observed the same effect and are now planning to test other heart regeneration stimuli. This discovery will allow the development of new strategies for the treatment of patients who have had a heart attack.
Heart tissue cannot be fully regenerated after a heart attack. This feature is manifested at an early age: heart muscle cells stop dividing and increase in size. The study’s authors confirmed that glucocorticoids, which are essential for maturation of fetal lungs, play a key role in this.
Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology of the Italian National Research Council, King’s College London and the Sapienza University of Rome participated in the study.