Now, a pill that 'mends broken hearts'

Thousands of people across the world are living with hearts that have been badly weakened by heart attacks, but guess it's time they rejoiced. A pill that'll revolutionise their lives by repairing the damaged tissue, will hit the market in the near future.

According to a report published in the Dailymail, the pill in question, tricks damaged tissue into healing itself, making it easier for weaker hearts to pump blood round the body.

Apparently, British researchers are so impressed by preliminary results they say the drug could be in widespread use in ten years.
They envisage those at high risk of having a heart attack taking it in advance, to prime their hearts into producing healthy new cells when the need arises. Crucially, the self-repair removes any risk the new cells will be rejected by the body.

"We are very excited about this. Even five years ago, people would have said this was science fiction. This is a wonderful example of really good basic science which I think is going to deliver a new treatment for patients," Professor Peter Weissberg, of the British Heart Foundation was qouted as saying.

Now, researchers from University College London, funded by the BHF, found the outer layer of the heart contains cells which babies in the womb can turn into heart muscle. In adults they lie dormant but a compound called thymosin beta-4 reawakens them, triggering the development of new heart muscle, reports the Dailymail.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director of the BHF, was quoted as saying: "To repair a damaged heart is one of the holy grails of heart research. This groundbreaking study  shows adult hearts contain certain cells that, given the right stimulus, can mobilise and turn into new  heart cells that might repair a damaged heart."

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