Cambridge mRNA therapy regrows heart muscle after attack, boosts pumping 10% in mice
kimmonismus · x · 2026-11-14
University of Cambridge researchers published in Nature Cardiovascular Research an mRNA therapy that reawakens heart muscle cells to divide and repair damage after a heart attack.
- Adult heart cells stop multiplying shortly after birth; up to a billion cells lost in a human heart attack are never replaced
- A short mRNA injection briefly activates two proteins, Myc and Cyclin T1, switching the repair ability back on
- In mice, blood pumped per heartbeat rose 10%, with effects lasting at least 12 weeks
Not a full cure, but even modest functional gains are linked to lower mortality; potential future treatment for heart failure, which affects 200,000 people in the UK annually.
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