After severe heart failure, the ability of the heart to heal by forming new cells is very low. However, after receiving treatment with a supportive he

The human heart may have a hidden ability to repair itself

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2024-11-22 00:30:07

After severe heart failure, the ability of the heart to heal by forming new cells is very low. However, after receiving treatment with a supportive heart pump, the capacity of a damaged heart to repair itself with new muscle cells becomes significantly higher, even higher than in a healthy heart. This is according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Circulation.

The ability of the human heart to renew itself by regenerating its muscle cells, myocytes, is very limited. But what happens to this capability when the heart is damaged by severe heart failure has been unknown.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now discovered that after an injury, the rate of cell renewal is even lower than in a healthy heart. Standard-of-care for patients with advanced heart failure is a surgically implanted pump that helps propel blood, a so-called left ventricular assist device (LVAD).

Surprisingly, the researchers found that patients with such a heart pump, who have shown significant improvement in their heart function, can regenerate heart muscle cells at a rate more than six times higher than in healthy hearts.