Singapore scientists find way to help heart cells repair themselves
Tests on lab mice showed attack- damaged hearts fully healed after four weeks when injected with new treatment
By Ildyko Ang
A groundbreaking new treatment which could enable heart failure and heart attack patients to “self-repair” damaged heart cells has been discovered in the Republic.
The inability of heart cells to regenerate and repair themselves is what makes heart attacks and failures severe and debilitating, making heart disease the leading cause of death worldwide. In Singapore, cardiovascular diseases account for nearly 20 per cent of all deaths every year.
In a three-year study, researchers from the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and the National University Health System (NUHS) discovered that a ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecule — which they named “Singheart” — is found in larger amounts in the heart cells of patients with heart diseases.
This single-stranded equivalent of DNA prevents heart cells from dividing, and hence self-healing.
The Singheart RNA, scientists found, could be “neutralised” by injecting viruses carrying artificial and complementary molecules into heart cells, hence enabling heart cells to regenerate themselves and self-heal.