HeartRepair uses the lessons of the embryo to answer the crucial developmental questions regarding heart muscle cell differentiation and develop techniques aimed at harnessing stem cells and or recruiting non-damaged myocardial cells from the infarcted heart to facilitate cardiac repair. Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of congestive heart failure mainly caused by excessive smoking and bad dietary habits. However, the cause of the subsequent heart failure is simple, massive cardiomyocyte necrosis which fatally perturbs heart function. However, an effective therapeutic approach is simple: replacement of damaged myocardium with viable cardiomyocytes. Recent advances in the field of stem cell replacement therapies, specifically cardiomyocyte regeneration, gains grace as a realistic alternative for congestive heart repair. Major publications revolve around transplantation trials carried out using either embryonic stem cells or bone marrow derived stem cells. However, Field serious questions the current scientific approach to this research and more importantly if, using current techniques and knowledge, such a goal can realistically ever be reached. Realization of this aim will only be achieved by understanding the underlying principles of cardiac muscle cell formation; the mission statement of HeartRepair HeartRepair addresses four R&D themes: 1. Genes for heart repair and plasticity, integrating clinical knowledge based genome sequencing to identify genes involved in heart development 2. Diversification of cardiac progenitor cells, examining the genetics of cardiac muscle cell formation by exploring the process of cardiomyogenesis and subsequent differentiation 3. Cell interaction and cardiac reprogramming, exploring the details and signals necessary to facilitate and redirect the cardiac fibroblast cell lineage for repair recruitment 4. Cardiac rejuvenation, to develop techniques to facilitate and speed repair of damaged, not yet necrotic
|
