New discovery to fight heart disease
Published: 08 Sep 2017
A study led by Associate Professor Roger Foo from NUS Medicine’s Department of Medicine discovered a chemical compound in mice that prevents heart muscle cells from repairing themselves. If the compound can be blocked, heart muscle cells can regenerate, like skin cells, and the heart may be able to heal itself.
Assoc Prof Foo’s study is the first in Singapore that studied heart regeneration, and the first global study that tackled the role of ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecule in heart failure. The research team named the molecule Singheart, after the Singapore researchers.
Based on the study, the researchers believe that patients with heart failure may have more Singheart in their heart cells. With mice, the research found that the quantity of Singheart increases as mice get older.
The next step for the researchers is to conduct similar experiments with human heart cells and test agents that could target Singheart to block its function.
The team hopes that this discovery can help to fight cardiovascular disease, which accounts for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in Singapore, and claims about 16 lives a day.
See press release.
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