After Heart Attack, Growth Factor Improves Scar Quality and Heart Function in Pig Study

Composed primarily of collagen and strengthened with cross-linked fibers, scar tissue that forms after a heart attack doesn ’t contract as well as healthy muscle tissue. It can therefore compromise the organ’s ability to pump blood, which may lead to heart failure, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Scientists who developed a therapy that targets such scar formation, or fibrosis, recently brought their strategy a step closer to the clinic. After demonstrating its effectiveness in rodents, their latest work—a randomized, double-blinded pig study—validates the approach in a large-animal model.
Source: JAMA - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research