Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Also Included In: Stem Cell Research
Article Date: 10 Sep 2013 – 0:00 PDT
The study, performed in mice, shows that only a single administration of a short pulse of expression of VEGFA is required, if it can be delivered to the exact region where the heart progenitors reside. The therapeutic effect is long term, as shown by markedly improved survival following myocardial infarction with a single administration of the synthetic mRNA when given within 48 hours after the heart attack. The long-term effect appears to be based on changing the fate of the native heart stem cells from contributing to cardiac fibrotic scar tissue and towards cardiovascular tissue.
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Karolinska Institutet
Publication: ‘Modified mRNA directs the fate of heart progenitor cells and induces vascular regeneration after myocardial infarction’, Lior Zangi, Kathy O Lui, Alexander von Gise, Qing Ma, Wataru Ebina, Leon M Ptaszek, Daniela Später, Huansheng Xu, Mohammadsharif Tabebordbar, Rostic Gorbatov, Brena Sena, Matthias Nahrendorf, David M Briscoe, Ronald A Li, Amy J Wagers, Derrick J Rossi, William T Pu & Kenneth R Chien, Nature Biotechnology, online 8 September 2013, DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2682.
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Synthetic mRNA can induce self-repair and regeneration of the infarcted heart
At the same time, he points out that these are still early days and there remains much to be done. In particular, it will become of interest to engineer new device technology to deliver the synthetic mRNA via conventional catheter technology. It also will be critical to move these studies, which are based in mouse models, to other animals, which is currently in progress.
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