Breakthrough Study Reveals Heart Muscle Can Regenerate, Offering Hope for Heart Failure Patients

Watan–A recent study concluded that heart muscle can regenerate, which may open new avenues for treating heart muscle failure (also known as heart failure) and possibly curing it in the future.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Sarver Heart Center in Tucson, USA, and published in the journal Circulation. The study was covered by the EurekAlert! website.

The researchers examined heart patients who had received artificial heart implants and found that heart muscle cells in some of them (only a quarter of the patients) regenerated. This may have resulted from allowing the heart to rest by having the artificial heart take over the burden of pumping blood, suggesting that this rest could be beneficial for heart muscle cells.

Muscles are divided into three categories: skeletal muscles, such as those in the legs and arms; smooth muscles, found in the walls of the digestive tract; and cardiac muscles. It is well known that skeletal muscles have a high capacity for regeneration after injury. In contrast, when cardiac muscle is injured, it does not regenerate. Until now, it was thought that heart muscle could not be regenerated or restored.

However, the new study provides evidence that heart muscle can regenerate.

Strongest Evidence Yet

Dr. Hisham Sadek, the study’s lead author, Director of the Sarver Heart Center, and Head of Cardiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, said, “This result is the strongest evidence we have so far regarding the regenerative capacity of human heart muscle cells. It is truly exciting, as it reinforces the idea that the human heart has an inherent capacity to regenerate. It also strongly supports the hypothesis that the inability of heart muscle to rest is the primary reason its cells cannot regenerate shortly after birth. It may be possible to target molecular pathways involved in cell division to enhance the heart’s regenerative ability.”

Next Steps

Dr. Sadek aims to find out why cells regenerated in only a quarter of the patients. He stated, “The reason why some patients respond while others don’t is still unclear. What is certain, however, is that the heart muscle cells in responders are capable of regeneration. The focus now should be on determining how to make all patients responsive, because achieving this would mean the possibility of treating heart failure.”

What Do We Know About Heart Failure?

Heart failure is a condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs, according to the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. This condition can result from additional strain caused by health issues that damage the heart or make it work harder than necessary.

Certain lifestyle factors, such as smoking, being overweight, eating high-fat and high-cholesterol foods, and lack of physical activity, can contribute to heart failure. Some medical conditions can also lead to this disease, such as uncontrolled high blood pressure or any obstruction that hinders blood flow in the heart, including valve problems or previous heart attacks.

Heart failure is a chronic condition that worsens over time, and there is no definitive cure for it. The goal of treatment is to manage symptoms and delay the disease’s progression. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, heart failure affects approximately 26 million people worldwide, with its prevalence increasing each year.

Despite the role of medications in slowing down the progression of heart failure, it remains an incurable disease. The only treatment for advanced heart failure, apart from heart transplantation, is the implantation of an artificial heart.

An artificial heart is considered a treatment option for patients with advanced heart failure and can be used either as a temporary solution until a heart transplant is available or as a lifelong treatment.