While not everyone may know that February is American Heart Month, many know that diseases affecting the heart claim more lives than any other cause in America each year. According to the American Heart Association, 70.1 million people suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease in America. But for the millions of people who are directly and indirectly impacted by such cardiovascular diseases, a recent study may offer hope.
In the Feb. 9 issue of Science Now, a team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Pennsylvania have shown that cells isolated from the hearts of newborn mice can start beating in Petri dishes.
By isolating the Isl1 gene from the heart tissue of baby mice and growing it in culture after purification, the cells producing this specific gene showed efficient development. Soon, layered heart tissue that was formed began to pulsate. With the addition of adrenaline, these cells showed signs of a normal heartbeat.
The same Isl1 gene has been isolated from human babies and rats. Because the undifferentiated cells (stem cells) from mice that encode for the Isl1 gene can form new heart tissue, the next step is to see whether the cells from human babies and rats will develop in culture. These researchers also want to see whether or not the cells encoding Isl1 exist in adult humans. More information on the study appears in the Feb. 10 issue of Nature.
Heart attack and stroke cause irreversible damage to heart muscle, so much of the campaign against cardiovascular disease is aimed toward prevention: watching cholesterol levels, exercising regularly and consuming fewer saturated fats.
Unlike many other organs of the body, the heart cannot regenerate new cells to heal the damaged muscle tissue.
The Isl1-producing cells, however, may be able to reverse this damage and heal the heart muscle if they show the same promise in human cells as they have shown in mouse cells. Scientists also are conducting research to determine if damage to the heart can be reversed by injecting these cells into the heart tissue.
The fact that Isl1 is found in human cells is one of the reasons for its promise. While the researchers still have much to prove before any such "heart-repairing" therapy is offered to the public, this development in the area of stem cell research indeed may be a breakthrough in medicine in decades to come.
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