American researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery about the human heart’s ability to self-repair, which could save countless lives. Their study indicates that a gene, previously inactive after birth, can be reactivated to produce new, functioning heart cells, offering hope for heart disease patients.
American scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about the human heart, proving it has the ability to self-repair, in a scientific breakthrough that could save the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide.
According to a study conducted by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, they have currently found a way to reactivate a gene that becomes inactive after birth to produce new, functioning heart cells.
Previously, when a heart attack or heart failure occurred, the organ would lose vital muscle cells without the ability to replace them, and there was no effective means to renew damaged heart cells, forcing patients to rely on medications, medical devices, surgeries, or heart transplants.
The scientific team conducted experiments during the study on a group of donors aged 21, 41, and 55 years. The new technique exploits a natural gene called Cyclin A2 (CCNA2), which is essential for the division and growth of heart cells during embryonic development.
However, this gene becomes inactive shortly after birth, depriving adult heart cells of the ability to divide or self-repair when damaged. The research team used a harmless virus to deliver an active copy of the CCNA2 gene to heart muscle cells taken from the donors.
Results from the older samples showed human heart cells dividing, with the resulting cells behaving normally, similar to healthy heart cells. Further analysis revealed that the CCNA2 gene helped heart cells “turn back the clock” by reactivating certain growth genes, enabling them to divide and repair the heart.
Dr. Hina Chaudhry, director of regenerative cardiovascular medicine at the hospital, stated, “Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally, while adult heart muscle cells stop dividing after birth. Our research is the first to demonstrate the possibility of regenerating a pig’s heart after injury.”
She continued, “We have advanced the field by proving that middle-aged human heart cells—previously thought incapable of division—can be stimulated to produce new functioning cells. This shifts the therapeutic model from merely managing symptoms to actual repair of the human heart.”
She added that these results represent the culmination of nearly two decades of effort. “We have been pioneers in the idea of heart regeneration by awakening dormant cell division genes, and we are now one step closer to clinical application.”
She emphasized, “Our goal is to develop a treatment that enables the heart to heal itself after heart attacks or in cases of failure, reducing the need for transplants or assistive devices.”
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death globally, with traditional treatments often limited to managing symptoms rather than repairing damage. Previous research has shown that heart muscle cells lose their ability to divide and regenerate after birth, leading to a reliance on medications and surgical interventions.
This new study marks a significant advancement in regenerative medicine, suggesting that stimulating dormant genes could revolutionize treatment options for heart disease patients.