Protein involved in heart development boosts stem cell strategy for heart repair, scientists show

With age, the human heart gradually loses its ability to repair itself following injury. Damage wrought by injuries such as cardiac ischemia and heart attack, which are associated with decreased oxygen levels in the heart, can cause the heart to function below normal capacity, making it difficult for patients to carry out day-to-day activities. To augment heart repair after ischemic injury, researchers have turned to stem cell-based therapies, which replace dead heart tissue with new, functional tissue.