Protecting damaged hearts with microRNAs
Monday, April 22, 2019 - 15:30
in Health & Medicine
Once the heart is formed, its muscle cells have very limited ability to regenerate. After a heart attack, these cells die off and scar tissue forms, potentially setting people up for heart failure. A new study advances the possibility of using microRNAs -- small molecules that regulate gene function -- to regenerate heart muscle. In mice, two microRNAs that are abundant in developing hearts, miR-19a and miR-19b, repaired heart muscle and improved cardiac function after heart attack.